A Holly Jolly Christmas
by InternThree
Summary: On Christmas Eve 2015, Meredith Grey flies across the country with her two young children. Some other familiar faces pop up along the way. If you like old school Grey's, with a healthy dose of family time, this one's for you!
1. Chapter One - The Plane

**Hi all! Well I decided to write a quick story for the holidays. For those of you who know me from my other story "Louder Than Words," I apologize. I know it's been a loooong time since I've updated. Life got very crazy this year, job, no job, back to a job… but the good news is I only have two chapters left and I plan on updating it in a couple weeks (yes, I'm working on it concurrently! :).**

 **In the meantime, I wanted to write this one for Christmas. It's been a lousy year and I just thought it would be fun to write something a little lighter. The holidays have been busy so I haven't had as much time with this as I would have liked. It's not gonna be as polished as LTW (and definitely not as long!). But if you like that story, I think you'll like this one. It's set during the holidays in 2015. I don't want to say too much about it. Just read on and enjoy! And if you're feeling extra nice, please leave a review. :)**

* * *

 _CHAPTER ONE - THE PLANE_

She hated planes.

Really… Truly.

She hated them.

It was a bad way to start the trip, she knew, standing at the window of the airport, staring at the plane, hating it… the engines that looked so fragile, the wings that could seemingly snap into pieces. Honestly, her extreme dislike was rather silly, her concerns unwarranted. Lexie would have told her that. The odds of anything happening were… some number Meredith couldn't actually calculate. The drive to the airport had been far more risky. Still, she always felt just a hint of nausea surveying that gleaming metal, wondering about the people who'd worked on it and the ones who'd be sitting in the cramped cockpit.

She'd have to get over it.

Especially today.

There was no way around it.

"Mom!"

A small hand began tugging at her. It was Zola, of course. Her sweet daughter with all that curiosity… and so, so many questions.

"Mom, is Santa gonna be able to find us?"

She should have been prepared for that one. They'd spent so many weeks discussing the jolly man in the red suit. Zola was excited, Bailey was absolutely over the moon. Why the hell hadn't she thought to pack all their presents? Screw the extra baggage costs. She could have paid and juggled and made it all work. But the call had come out of nowhere, woken her up in fact. She hadn't had time to plan. And now her kids were gonna be disappointed. In a year that had already sucked, one of insane work schedules and plenty of last minute calls to the babysitter, she was going to break their poor little hearts.

Hell with it… The stores had to be open the week before Christmas. She'd squeeze a shopping trip in there somehow.

"Of course, Zo." She flashed a smile full of confidence. "Santa always finds us."

"I'm gonna getta truck?" Bailey yanked on her other hand, demanding equal attention.

"Have you been good?"

He froze for a second, his beautiful eyes rolling to one side. And then came the grin. God, she loved that grin.

"Yeah!"

He jumped into the air, nearly yanking her arm out of her socket. All Meredith could do was laugh. It felt good to laugh. She was exhausted, alone, standing at the airport with four bags and two children… Why wasn't Derek here? He should have come home. He should have been helping her.

"What'd _you_ ask for?" Zola fixed her gaze on her mother. "From Santa? Did'ya think of something?"

"I did…" Meredith played coy. She wasn't quite ready to share her own Christmas list. There was only one thing on it, one thing she desperately wanted. But at this very moment, it seemed so far off.

"Do you think you'll get it?"

Zola gave her a shy smile. She was apparently unsure whether her mother had earned it. Meredith's moods hadn't been all that great lately. Single parenthood… it was tough. She'd tried, but there had been stumbles along the way. She'd yelled and cried and silently cursed her sister for leaving her… cursed her husband as well. It was the holidays, dammit. This was supposed to be easier.

"Do I think I'll get it?"

Meredith repeated her daughter's question. A happy Christmas for all of them… together, safe… that was it, her only request.

"I hope so…"

She squeezed her daughter's hand as a voice over the loudspeaker called up their boarding group.

"I really hope so."

* * *

The flight attendants were all decked out in Santa hats. They sang a hasty version of "Frosty The Snowman" as the plane taxied down the runway. Thankfully, they'd fit the emergency procedures in there as well, though these had been delivered in a dull monotone instead of a peppy musical number. Meredith had listened carefully, shushed the children as the people in uniforms described exit doors and oxygen masks. In some ways, it was ridiculous. If the plane suddenly ripped in half, if the back end came off and they plummeted from the sky, the oxygen masks weren't going to do much. Even so, she felt better being prepared.

She hated planes.

There was snow swirling in the breeze as they finally took off. The pilots gunned the engines and the plane surged forward, the seats trembling a bit as they got up to speed. All the while, Zola had her nose pressed to the window. Next to her, Bailey squirmed for a better view. He was gathering up his legs, trying to kneel on the seat.

"Bailey, sit down please."

Meredith placed a hand firmly on his shoulder. He started to protest, but she gave him her best motherly glare.

"Santa only brings things to good boys and girls."

"But I wanna see…"

His bottom lip came out naturally. The tears would come next.

"You will, kiddo," she promised him. "You guys can switch off once that sign changes."

She gestured to the seatbelt sign up above them.

"When the pilot says it's safe, that light will go off and then you can change seats with your sister."

She waited for Zola's head to turn. Had her daughter missed that or was she simply ignoring her?

"Did you hear me, Zo?"

"Yeah…"

Zola gave a frustrated sigh. It had never occurred to her that she might not get to keep her prime seat. But to her credit, she didn't debate the issue. She just leaned back as far as she could, allowing her baby brother a glimpse of the clouds.

"Tonight, Santa's gonna be flying up here!"

"Ina sleigh?"

"Yeah. And the reindeer'll come too!"

The children had fully embraced the magic of the holidays. Their eyes were bright, their voices full of wonder… Meanwhile, Meredith was a bundle of nerves. She couldn't concentrate or think beyond the next couple hours.

It had to be Christmas Eve, didn't it? Not in January as she'd planned… Not on that lovely little date with the X on her calendar, the one she'd prepared for… the one she'd told the chief about when she'd requested time off. It always went like this. The phone would ring and, just like that, her life was upended. More chaos, more struggling to discern the good news from the bad… So much could go wrong. That was the number one lesson in life.

So much could go wrong.

Truthfully, her own inconvenience paled in comparison to her other concerns.

 _Dammit, Derek…_

She closed her eyes.

 _You were supposed to be here for this…_

She had to admit she was worried, scared even. The plane had no Wifi… Out of all the planes in the whole freakin' country, she'd found herself on the one with no Wifi. It was almost like she was being paid back. She hated planes and, as it turned out, they hated her. But being detached, disconnected at this very moment? It was torturous. There was so much she wanted to know… So much she _needed_ to know. She didn't do well in the dark. If Derek were here, he would laugh and joke and make her feel better.

But he wasn't.

She was alone with Zola and Bailey, battling against her growing fears.

 _It's happening too fast…_

At least the kids were on good behavior. She'd love to believe it was her fantastic parenting, her rules and gentle discipline, but she was well aware that Santa was probably the better enforcer today. Santa and his ever-present threat of banishing bad children to the naughty list. Oh what the hell, she'd take it… happily. There had to be one good reason to fly on this day.

She wondered if she could dare take a nap. She'd woken up… when? She couldn't even remember. She'd barely been asleep when her cell had started humming. Thank god she'd actually heard it. There had been bags to pack, insanely expensive plane tickets to buy, disheveled children to drag from their beds…

Maybe just five minutes… assuming her anxiety would release her for that long. She'd need the sleep. Once they reached their destination, she'd be out of luck. Zola could watch her brother. She'd grown more mature over the last few months, more protective. And their plane would keep flying… up in the clouds.

She heard a ding… then the pilot's crackling voice.

"We've now reached 30,000 feet, just passing over Idaho."

Meredith cringed and kept her eyes closed as the plane began to tilt.

"There may be some light turbulence ahead, so I'm going to keep the seatbelt sign on for now, just as a precaution. We should pass through it in the next five minutes."

"Momma…"

Bailey had heard that magic word, "seatbelt."

"I wanna see…"

She should have sat by the window, she realized. But she'd had visions of the children running up and down the aisles, like tiny barbarians. Angry scowls from her fellow passengers, startled flight attendants…

"Momma…" A clammy, little hand patted hers. "Momma…"

"Bailey," she exhaled, opening her eyes. "The light's still on, isn't it?"

He was staring at her, mussed hair, pink cheeks… that huge smile he'd inherited from his father.

"Gonna sit with you then."

He reached his arms out to her. And damned if her heart didn't melt then and there. And for a precious few minutes, her stress melted with it. It was almost annoying how often this happened. Before she'd become a parent, she hadn't understood. She could remember being with Cristina once, listening to some patient in the clinic going on and on about her kids, their hilarious quirks, their sweet personalities… She and Cristina had made faces at each other, quietly snickered. The sarcastic comments had come later in the locker room.

And now… now Meredith _was_ one of those people. It was as if her soul had woken up, seen the sunshine through those ever-present clouds. Her marriage to Derek was a high point in life, but the kids… the kids were her everything. Laughter, smiles, all the good things came much faster these days. But the bad things seemed to come faster too. She just had to be on guard…

 _It'll be okay... When we get there, it'll be okay._

"Come here…"

She unlatched her seatbelt, just for a second, hoping Bailey wouldn't call her on it. But no, he was too busy crawling into her lap. He snuggled close as she latched him in with her. If the turbulence got too bad, she'd send him back to his own seat.

But for now she was only too happy to rest her chin on his head and rock him to sleep.

* * *

Tapping…

Meredith could hear it, off in the distance. She was in a forest… a beautiful forest that smelled of moss and pine needles. Planes buzzed above her, but not her plane. Her plane was… gone. Where? Where else would a plane be if not in that bright, blue sky that hovered above her? Nothing made sense here. She was alone, cold... dressed only in her resident scrubs. She was yelling names through the frigid air. She was waiting for voices to answer her back.

But all she ever got was the tapping. It was getting louder and louder as the minutes ticked by. She stumbled along, searching for the source.

Tap… tap… tap…

How had she gotten here?

Tap… tap… tap…

How would she get home?

Tap… tap… tap…

"Mom."

The voice grabbed her.

"Mom!"

"What?"

Meredith woke with a start. She blinked a few times, trying to get her bearings. Bailey remained in her arms, his body limp, heavy. His deep breathing told her that he was asleep. Zola still sat in the window seat, tapping Bailey's seatbelt against the armrest.

"Zola…" Meredith rubbed her face. "Honey, why on earth are you doing that?"

"What?" Zola looked down at the seatbelt she held. Guilt briefly marred her adorable features as she quickly dropped it. "Oh, I don't know."

"There are other people on the plane, Zo," Meredith reminded her. "We have to think about that."

"I'm sorry…"

Meredith just shook her head. Her brain felt all fuzzy and her body ached from Bailey's continued presence. She loved her little boy to pieces, but the kid was like a sack of potatoes, one that had pushed her spine into an awkward position.

"What do you need, honey?"

She could tell she'd been dreaming, but the location, the storyline, whatever had happened, it had drifted off… never quite captured in the memory banks. For a brief moment, she was grateful. Probably a nightmare caused by the stress.

 _Let it be…_

"Were you dreamin'?" Zola asked, as if on cue.

"Yeah, I think so…."

Meredith stretched her free arm up towards the ceiling. That was it. The last remnants of her dream and whatever emotions had come along with it, were lost forever.

"But I'm up now." She cleared her throat. "What did you need, Zo?"

"How much longer?"

"What?"

"Til we get there? How much longer?"

"I'm not sure." Meredith unlatched her belt and carefully lifted Bailey into his own seat. "I have no idea where we are."

She secured her son, giving an extra tug on his seatbelt, then peered out the window. The clouds had disappeared and she saw nothing but green below. The forest… It was gorgeous, untouched, even by the ice and snow-

Zola snapped the window shut.

"I'm bored…"

"You're what?" The abrupt segue caused Meredith's head to spin. But thankfully, her years of parenting had taught her to adapt. She replayed Zola's last words, recognizing them instantly. Parents absolutely dreaded those words.

"I thought you wanted to see outside…"

"I'm tired of outside." Zola's decent into whininess had officially begun. "I'm booored, Momma."

Meredith attempted some measure of seriousness, but inwardly, she was smiling. Her daughter's complaining was irritating and certainly something to be dealt with at a later date, but this… this was the one situation she'd expected and prepared for. She was suddenly proud of herself. Yes, she'd forgotten the kids' presents and probably half of her own clothes, but by God, she'd remembered the iPad.

"Grab your backpack." She checked that the seatbelt sign was still off as she spoke. "It's under your feet, Zo. Your headphones and iPad should be in there."

"With Elf?"

"Yes, honey, with Elf."

"Aunt Lexie's favorite movie!"

"That's the one."

Meredith finally allowed her smile to turn outward. This was a famous story in her family. Lexie had gotten the movie (complete with digital copy!) for Zola's first Christmas with them. It wasn't exactly toddler appropriate, but Lexie had made her promise to hold onto it until Zola was ready.

Now, it was her absolute favorite.

"Please put your seatbelt back on when you're done." Meredith pointed at Zola as the child readied her holiday entertainment. Zola did as she was told then slipped on her headphones, eagerly fast-forwarding to a scene partway through. And within seconds, she was off in a world all her own.

"So I'm here now… I found you, Daddy."

Meredith could hear her whispering, reciting her favorite line from the movie. Of course, it was Derek's favorite line too.

"And guess what?"

Her little voice brought tears to Meredith's eyes. It was so happy, so wonderfully sweet.

"I love you. I love you. I love yoooooou!"

Meredith reached out and brushed her daughter's cheek. Zola didn't look her way, but Meredith saw the smile spread across her face.

"Daddy loves you too, Zo."

* * *

 **So that's it for now… :) Where are they going? What are they up to? You shall find out soon enough! I'm hoping to update this one every couple of days. Hope you enjoy it! Please review if you get a chance! And until then… Merry Almost Christmas Guys!**


	2. Chapter Two - The Surprise

**Merry Christmas Eve, guys! Hope you're having fun wherever you are!**

* * *

 _CHAPTER TWO – THE SURPRISE_

The flight attendants sang again as soon as they landed.

White Christmas.

White Freakin Christmas.

Meredith came to the grudging realization that this made perfect sense. The ground beyond the runway was covered with snow. This wasn't the light dusting she'd seen upon leaving Seattle. No, this was the kind that required snow pants and boots and a few colorful curses. Nothing was easy when that much white stuff piled up on the ground.

"We'd like to be the first to welcome you to Boston's Logan Airport," the pilot's voice came over the intercom. "We know several flights have been canceled this week due to weather, so for those of you who were delayed, we thank you for your patience. We hope you all have a safe and wonderful holiday. Local time is now 3:30pm."

Meredith immediately switched on her phone. There were no messages… at all. That green box, devoid of numbers, was either a very good sign or a very bad one.

 _Crap…_

She wished, once again, that she'd been able to use her free drink coupon. It was still tucked into her purse, forced to wait until the return trip. With two kids in tow, even a watered down drink hadn't seemed worth the risk.

"Okay guys, make sure you have everything."

Bailey was drowsy and rubbing his eyes. She could only hope he'd perk up in the next few minutes. The idea of carrying him all the way down to baggage claim…

"Momma?"

He lifted his arms, already wanting to be held, but Meredith stood her ground.

"You're a big boy, remember?" She'd been coaching him on this for weeks. "Big boys walk. You like to walk on your own, don't you?"

He scrunched up his nose and she waited for the meltdown. Neither of her kids had slept enough. Hell, _she_ hadn't slept enough.

"Bae, I just really need you to do this for Momma. Please?"

He sniffled a little, but eventually nodded. She leaned down and planted a grateful kiss on his forehead.

That was one…

She glanced at her older child who was still fiddling with her iPad. That was the only problem with Meredith's perfect boredom solution. When it was time to switch tasks, the damn thing usually came back to bite her.

"You need to put that away, Zola." She chose a firm tone. She couldn't afford to get into a battle here. "We talked about this."

"But I wanna keep it out."

Elf had ended an hour ago and she was now swiping through pictures from their last camping trip. Meredith spotted her beautiful family perched on an overlook. A gorgeous valley was spread out behind them.

"It's us and Daddy!" She held it up.

"Zo, we don't have any hands left."

Meredith longed to just remain in her seat, or possibly fall apart, or cry from utter exhaustion. She was simply too tired to argue about this, tired, nervous… borderline scared. But she didn't have any backup. There was no one to rescue her, so she had to march forward.

"How about we bring it out in the car?"

"But I wanna see Daddy's pi'tures."

"I know you do, but I need you to watch out for your brother." She considered the last photo her daughter had seen. Derek had been holding Bailey against his chest, while Zola sat proudly on her father's shoulders.

"Don't you think that would make Daddy happy?" Meredith tried. "To know you were helping?"

"I guess…"

Zola watched Bailey as the passengers started to push down the aisle. The two kids never had changed seats, so maybe she was feeling a bit more charitable. Or maybe it was just a much-needed Christmas miracle. Whatever the reason, she finally slid her iPad into her backpack, shouldered it, then grabbed Bailey's hand.

In another setting, Meredith might have done a victory dance. It wasn't often that she won with both kids. She tapped at her phone again, wondering if she could shoot off a brief text instead… just to check in, or perhaps report her tiny triumph. But the kids were fidgeting and a man behind them was waiting politely.

"Would you like to go, Miss?" he asked, all kindness and chivalry.

It wasn't like she could turn the guy down. She pocketed her phone and reached for her first carryon.

 _We're almost there…_

She took a deep breath, concentrating only on the task in front of her.

 _We're almost there…_

* * *

Another ten minutes passed before they actually emerged from the plane. The airport… Meredith took it all in with one weary glance. There were people everywhere, people with strollers and tiny dogs and laughably large carryon bags. Christmas music played over the speakers. She imagined the soft carols were supposed to be calming, but the constant interruption by gate personnel caused the exact opposite effect. It was chaos… exactly what her frayed nerves didn't need.

But there was no other choice. The timing was awful. She seriously could not think of a worse day to travel on… but these were the cards they'd been dealt. And dammit, she hadn't traveled this far to fold now.

Meredith Grey had a job to do.

She exhaled slowly and stepped into the madness.

She knew how they looked as they trudged past the other gates… messy and tired… a family just barely surviving their trip. Bailey was still in his pajamas and she wasn't even convinced that Zola's shoes matched. Her own hair hung down in her face, but her hands were tied up with dangling car seats, so there was nothing to be done about it.

"Can I carry one?"

Zola pointed to the two large bags Meredith had slung over her shoulder. It was a sweet gesture, designed to help her struggling mother, but Meredith gave her a gentle "no thanks." She was walking like the freakin' Hunchback of Notre Dame, but that's what she got for carrying their jackets and toys and an endless supply of snacks on the plane.

"Just hold Bailey's hood, please."

She'd already instructed her youngest to grab onto her sleeve, so together the trio stumbled across the airport, eliciting a few concerned stares, but no offers of help. Meredith didn't care. She probably wouldn't have accepted it anyway. This was her family. And they'd sure as hell been through a lot worse than this.

It was her and Zola and Bailey against the world…

Except it wasn't just them…

Meredith finally found her smile.

"Derek!"

She yelled to the handsome man with the perfect hair and the perfect eyes and the perfect… well, everything really. Her husband. He turned towards her and for a second all her worries were gone.

Everything was happy.

Everything was good in the world.

It was Christmas.

It was Christmas and they were together.

"Daddy!"

The kids ran to him… It was as if she was watching one of those cute reunion videos, the kind people posted across social media. Derek was kneeling, his arms held wide open. To her credit, Zola never let go of her brother. She just dragged him along until their father swept them up in a hug. There were giggles and kisses and lots of barely intelligible chatter.

"Daddy, where were you?"

Zola had allowed Derek to put her down, but Bailey refused. He was clinging to his father's neck, their noses mere inches from each other.

"You gonna miss Santa!"

"But I didn't miss him yet." Derek wasn't stupid. The old man with the beard was a big deal today. "I told you guys it might be a little while, remember?"

"You were s'posed to be home three days ago!" Zola put her hands on her hips.

"She's right, you were."

Meredith had caught up to them, with her two car seats and her two giant bags. Derek's brain thankfully clicked into gear. He set his protesting son down and hurriedly reached for the car seats, giving her a quick kiss as he did.

"I'm sorry."

"You'd better be."

"Nothing was flying out." The explanation came instantly. Afterall, he'd had a few days to practice it.

"The storm came out of nowhere. All the forecasts said it would push south. If I'd known, I would have tried to get an earlier flight."

"Mmmhmm." He wasn't getting off the hook that easily. She'd just flown across the country, solo, with their two small children. "And what about the extra two weeks?"

"They needed some additional work on that grant proposal. They basically buried us in notes and then they went and pushed all my meetings."

"Right before Christmas?"

"It worked out for the best, didn't it?" Derek came off the defensive, shot her another charming smile. "I would have had to come back with you anyway. At least we saved that ticket cost."

She gave him a tight smile in return.

"That's probably good. Cuz wait til you see the bill for our flights."

That sobered him a bit. They were out at least a thousand dollars… a thousand dollars right before Christmas. But the truth was, it didn't matter. Not in the grand scheme of things. This trip could have cost ten thousand dollars, twenty even… and she would have been here. They all would.

Meredith set down her bags and finally brushed the hair out of her face.

"Hey…" She leaned into Derek, gave him a hug and a real kiss. "We missed you."

"I am sorry," he said sincerely. "I should have come home earlier."

"No, it's good you were here," she relented. "It turns out they needed you."

Meredith's stomach began to churn. They'd made it to Boston in the middle of winter… and now she could focus on the next steps. She could sense Derek watching her, reading her every expression.

"Mom's still at the hospital." He stepped aside as Bailey and Zola ran circles between them. "It's gonna be fine, but-"

"This wasn't supposed to happen yet. We weren't supposed to be here until the end of next month."

"The doctors said it was possible."

"Is she okay?"

"Yes," Derek insisted. "Everything is fine."

"Don't lie to me, Derek."

That sinking feeling grew stronger… the one that told her that good things always came at a cost. Her relationship with Derek had been up and down, happy then broken then happy again. Zola's adoption had nearly been derailed… And Bailey's delivery… She couldn't even think about that one.

"This is _family_."

Left unsaid, was the other half of that statement. That family often comes with heartache and pain. She had to be prepared for that.

"Meredith," Derek leveled his gaze at her. "I wouldn't lie to you. Certainly not about this."

The baggage claim rumbled to life, causing the crowd to surge forward around them. Derek put a protective hand on each of his children's shoulders.

"Guys, stay close."

"You shouldn't have even left." Meredith shook her head, her relief at his presence temporarily negated by fear. Yes, she wanted him here, to hug their kids and haul impossibly heavy car seats, but she also wanted his eyes in that room. His judgment, his worry, his knowledge that she would kill him if anything went wrong under his watch…

"You should have stayed at the hospital, made sure they were doing everything right."

"They _are_ doing everything right." Derek examined the first few bags as they passed. "Don't you think I checked their credentials?"

"You did?"

"Absolutely." He glanced over at her, taken aback, maybe insulted. "It's family, like you said."

"Well you still should have stayed."

Derek had every right to be annoyed, but as usual, he was patient, agreeable, a far better man than she probably deserved sometimes.

"How about we just get over there now?"

"Fine…"

She would have loved to have sounded equally gracious, but she just couldn't do it. Besides, she needed to save some energy for their next stop.

"Thanks for coming to get us though…" she finished lamely.

"Of course."

She started to tell him about the flight, about Elf, about Bailey falling asleep in her lap… But she was interrupted by a loud bang as a fresh wave of luggage tumbled down the ramp and slammed into the metal rim of the carousel.

Clearly, the baggage guys were eager to get out of the weather. She couldn't really blame them. An entire day of unloading luggage… bag after bag… Her vision blurred as she stared at it all. What had she even brought? Their early morning departure seemed like a decade ago and she had zero recollection of packing. All she could remember was their cabbie's annoyed mutterings as he'd tossed their huge bags into the trunk.

"I've got it."

Derek stepped up with confidence and began plucking their luggage from the circling mass. He'd seen her confusion and immediately reacted. Meredith sighed… with relief, happiness... She knew then and there that she could actually relax, at least a little. No matter what happened from here on out, she wasn't alone in this.

"I have a surprise for you, by the way..."

Derek smiled over his shoulder, catching her off guard as he snagged a large roller bag. Unfortunately, she wasn't in the mood for anything other than the plans they had made.

Flight, pick up, possibly a short stop at the gift shop… and then the hospital.

That was it. That was all she could handle today.

"Derek…"

"It's a good one, I promise."

"I just want to get to Mass Gen." Her head fell back and she found herself staring up at the ceiling. Her husband didn't know the meaning of _simple_. "That's it… That's all I want. Well maybe that and a shower. I have no idea when I last washed my hair."

"You'll like this-"

"I won't."

"Well then she's gonna be pretty damn disappointed."

Meredith blinked. What the hell was he talking about? Was she so exhausted she could no longer understand Basic English? Or worse yet, was he referring to her in the third person? She loved her husband, but that right there, it could be a deal breaker.

"Mommy!" Zola started tugging on her.

"Zo, please…"

"Mommy, look! Look!"

Meredith ignored the girl. She didn't need to see Santa or the carolers or whatever well-intentioned group had entered the airport. There was too much to do, too much on her mind.

"We need to stop by a gift shop real quick." Meredith leaned in towards Derek. "I forgot the gifts… well not the blanket. That I remembered. But if we don't get something else, I'm gonna feel like a jerk. And I didn't fly from one coast to the other to feel like a-"

"Mommy, look!"

"Zola, stop-"

"LOOK!"

"Meredith," Derek cut her off, gesturing behind her. His frustration was evident, whether it was with her or their daughter, she couldn't quite tell. "Would you just look?!"

"Derek-"

"AUNT KISSTINA!" Bailey's sudden shriek cut her off. It was the highest pitch he could manage, certain to shatter glass had there been any windows nearby. "Aunt Kisstina, Aunt Kisstina!"

"Bailey!"

She grabbed for him, but he was already gone. Zola too. Holy crap, she'd just lost her kids in the airport. There were too many people, too many cars outside… Her chest constricted and for a brief moment her vision swam. But then a figure emerged from the crowd, using a luggage cart as a battering ram. Both Zola and Bailey were riding on top of it, huge grins on their faces.

"Told ya…" Derek laughed.

Meredith just stared.

"Cristina…"

She honestly couldn't believe it.

At all.

Mostly because it didn't make any sense. Cristina Yang did not live here. She didn't live in Seattle anymore either. Their communication in the last few months had involved staring at each other across little screens…

Boston, Massachusetts had never come up.

"She's struck dumb." Cristina slowed to a halt in front of them, throwing Derek her famous side eye. "You didn't tell me she'd be like this."

"That's because I didn't know."

Derek shooed the kids off the cart, then piled the first pieces of luggage onboard. Meredith just stood there, blinking. Less than twelve hours ago, she'd been in her bed on the other side of the country… alone. Silent house, kids asleep. Now, she was standing in a bustling airport with her husband and best friend.

"Seriously?" Cristina took a step forward, equal parts annoyed and confused. "Are you gonna say anything else? Cuz I can totally get back on that plane. I have a long standing dinner reservation at Muchos Tacos-"

"Noooo!" Zola latched onto her arm.

"She's kidding, Zo," Derek gave their friend a warning look. "Your Aunt Cristina's not gonna spend Christmas at Muchos Tacos."

"We gonna go?" Bailey chimed in. "I wanna taco… and chips. I want chips!"

"I want fries," Zola countered.

"No, chips!"

"Fries!"

"Chips!"

"Cristina…" Meredith gradually found her voice. She could hear the kids arguing, but the sound was muted. She might as well have been in a dream. "What are you doing here?"

"It's Christmas," Derek answered for her. The way he said it, it sounded so logical. "It's Christmas and she's your person. I figured why not fly her out to celebrate with us?"

"It was supposed to be Seattle," Cristina grumbled. "I literally made it to Denver before he turned me around. From no snow, to some snow, to this white freakin madness."

"I just… I can't believe you're here," Meredith stated the obvious fact. She half-expected her friend to disappear into the crowd again. "I can't believe you followed us here."

"Yeah, well… Muchos Tacos just cut half their menu."

Cristina shrugged, but a sly smile appeared on her lips. Meredith reached out and hugged her. Hugging wasn't really their thing, but today it felt right. And she noticed that Cristina didn't resist.

"I'm glad you came out."

"Me too." Cristina's rare sincerity lasted all of ten seconds. And then she pulled back, her lips twisting into a frown. "I wasn't supposed to get you a gift, was I?"

"Well, considering that I didn't get you one…"

"Seriously?" Cristina lifted an eyebrow. "Not anything? I mean, I think you're aware that I take giftcards, right? I was very specific last year."

"Well, we do have to stop by a store after this," Meredith played along. "Maybe we can find something suitable there. I was thinking about a snow globe of Boston."

"You are a terrible friend."

Meredith finally laughed.

"I missed you too."

* * *

 **So that's it for now! Yes everyone, Derek is alive in this story! It was fun to reunite him and his family. And of course, I couldn't leave Cristina out. Please feel free to leave a review if you can. And if you're traveling this weekend, please be safe. Merry Christmas!**


	3. Chapter Three - The Car

_CHAPTER THREE – THE CAR_

The snow was coming down again.

It fell across the windshield in shiny white sheets. Meredith was desperate to get to the hospital, but at the same time, she was thankful the traffic had slowed them somewhat. Maybe the roads had been salted and plowed, but they were transporting two precious children here. Both Zola and Bailey had passed out in their back row car seats, lulled to sleep by the quiet rhythm of the windshield wipers.

"What about this one?"

Cristina held up a teddy bear. It was one of five that they'd bought at the airport's gift shop. Meredith hadn't been able to decide on a color… or a size for that matter. This one was the biggest. It was brown, velvety soft, with a fuzzy pink nose.

"Wrap it."

"You sure?" Cristina surveyed their dwindling supply of paper. They'd snatched what they could from the shop's bargain bin. "We already wrapped the first two."

"She'll need options."

"Mer-"

"And if she doesn't, we can give the rest to the kids."

Meredith regarded her children, her conscience tugging at her. The guilt came in waves… She'd been so busy zipping around grabbing teddy bears that she hadn't even thought to snag them some toys. After all her worry back at the airport… how had she forgotten?

"Bailey wanted a truck…" she sighed. "And Zola… she wants a stethoscope. What are the chances we can get those today?"

Cristina stared at her blankly.

"On Christmas Eve?"

"Yes."

"Are you serious?"

"Well, Santa sorta fell down on the job this year…"

Cristina looked around the minivan, her eyebrows together, her mouth screwed up in confusion. She and Meredith were perched in the middle row of seats. Their feet were propped up on duffel bags and every remaining inch of space was filled with luggage. The trunk was full, as was the passenger seat next to Derek. There were even backpacks under the kids' dangling feet.

"How is that possible?" she asked. "What the hell is in all these bags?"

"I had no idea how long we would be here," Meredith said sheepishly. "And I was tired. When I'm tired, I overpack."

"Except with presents, apparently."

"Not fair…"

"I'm sorry if the truth hurts."

"Just grab the pajamas."

"Which pair?" Cristina held up a bag, her smirk on full display. "You bought five of them also."

"Five?"

Now it was Derek's turn to speak up. Yes, this whole thing was getting embarrassing.

"Options," she said hastily. "Plus, I was rushing."

"We've got kittens, we've got stripes, we've got polka dots, we've got balloons _and_ we've got stars…" Cristina paused and held up the pants for inspection. "Well, suns, moons and stars."

"I'd go with the kittens."

"Derek…" Meredith dropped her head. She didn't need another person weighing in on this. Plus, the worsening weather was making her jumpy. There was maybe a hundred feet of visibility around their car. After that, the world disappeared.

"You're supposed to be watching the road," she reminded him. "I'm sure you can see that snow storm out there."

"I am watching the road."

"Well concentrate-"

"I am concentrating."

"Not if you're thinking about kitten pajamas." Meredith couldn't believe she was arguing about this. "You can't think about kitten pajamas and still think about the other cars on the road. It's impossible."

"And yet somehow, I'm doing it." He smiled, catching her eyes in the rearview mirror. To him, this was all cute and funny. It didn't help that they were discussing kitten pajamas. "Turns out I can multitask."

"Derek-"

"Meredith, I'm a pretty successful neurosurgeon. I promise I can handle talking while driving."

Cristina snorted as she grabbed for the tissue paper. Red and green, naturally.

"Someone thinks a lot of himself."

"Let's just go with the kittens," Meredith found a gift bag and held it out for her friend. "And the stars… she likes stars too."

"Overkill…"

"Options!"

The snow just kept coming. Traffic snarled, horns began honking. All the smart people… well, the lucky people, the ones without family members laying in the hospital, they were home, oh-so thankful for this lovely white Christmas. Meredith silently cursed them.

"You're nervous, aren't you?"

Cristina finished wrapping the pajamas then carefully placed the bag at their feet… well, between the other two bags at their feet. She crossed her arms in front of her and focused all her attention on Meredith.

Meredith waited a beat. Cristina's fixed gaze was incredibly daunting…

"I'm not nervous," she said finally. She threw in a casual shrug for good measure. "Really, I'm not."

"Mer, I can tell that you're nervous."

"She is," Derek decided to pipe up again. "I can hear it in her voice."

"Eyes on the road, Derek!"

"They are on the road." He didn't even bother to hide his amusement. At least the Christmas spirit had found one of them. "That's why I said I could _hear_ you. For all I know, you could've gone with the polka dot pajamas. Maybe you said the kittens to make me feel better."

"She went with the kittens," Cristina called to the front. "I wrapped them myself."

"Oh for godsakes, you two!"

Meredith was getting irritated. The chill in the air definitely wasn't helping. She shivered and pulled her coat tighter around her. It had been so damn cold in Seattle. And now that seemed downright balmy in comparison to this city. The van's heaters could barely keep up. She checked the windows. How was it that the snow just kept coming?

"It's okay to be nervous," Cristina picked right back up again. She obviously didn't care about the cold or the snow or anything else. "I mean, you don't need to be. But your family and hospitals… I get it. That's not a great track record."

"I'm fine…" Meredith threw up her hood, the better to warm her ears, then grabbed the PJ bag from Cristina. On closer examination, the polka dots were actually pretty cute too.

"Do you like these?"

"I'll tell you that when you tell me if you're nervous."

"I'm not," Meredith reiterated. "She's fine. I'm fine. Everyone's fine."

"Did they mention anything about complications?"

"Complications?"

It was like an electric shock shot through her system. Meredith had been steadfastly avoiding that particular term. It was the boogey man for all surgeons. But here was Cristina, bringing it up.

"Why?" Meredith's voice fell to a whisper. "Did Derek say something? He's a liar if he says he's not nervous too."

"Too?"

"Okay, shut up." Meredith hated how easily these people saw through her. "Of course I'm nervous, Cristina. It's freakin Christmas Eve. Nothing was supposed to happen til January… _late_ January. And yet here we are, in a blizzard, trying to wrap silly gifts in a minivan…"

"You chose these gifts-"

"I just need to hear if he said complications!"

"No, that's why I was asking you."

Meredith gritted her teeth as they hit a speed bump. The van rocked from side to side and she could hear a fresh heap of snow scraping under the wheel wells.

"Well I haven't heard anything." She watched her husband… the remarkably calm man driving through a snowstorm. "So I'm just gonna assume that everything's good. Because I don't think he'd wait and clobber me there… I don't think he'd do that."

Cristina gave her a small, but genuine shake of the head.

"I don't think he'd do that either."

Those words brought some relief. Cristina was her doom and gloom friend, the one who understood Meredith's dark expectations. If she thought it was okay, then maybe it would be.

But that was only one of her many issues today.

Meredith tuned back towards her children, then reached over the seat to stroke Bailey's arm.

"They're so excited about Santa…"

The gifts, or lack thereof, still weighed heavily on her mind. That was a pretty big parenting fail, the kind of thing that came up in later therapy sessions.

"Yeah, but they'll be happy to see their grandmother," Cristina reassured her. "They actually _like_ their grandmother. Mine was always a pain in the ass."

"They're gonna be mad they can't go in the room…"

"They'll be able to later. And that's the best part."

Meredith considered that for a moment. Tomorrow was Christmas, afterall. So maybe the timing could actually work in her favor here.

"I guess that will make a pretty great present…"

"Well it's no stethoscope…" Cristina realized how important that could be to a kid. No doubt she'd had one at the tender age of five. "But I bet they'll think the whole thing's pretty cool. And if for some reason the nurses won't let them in, we'll just dress them in tiny scrubs and sneak them in with us. Call them child prodigies or something."

Meredith grinned as she pictured that one… her kids in little blue outfits, with white booties and surgical caps.

Holy crap, it was cute.

She had a sudden urge to crawl into the backseat, to squeeze between her two beautiful babies. The snow would disappear, the car would disappear, and it would just be the three of them. She couldn't help it. She loved them so much… With anything and everything she had in her. Cristina understood, but only to a point. And Derek… he _did_ get it, completely, but a father's love was just… different.

A telltale buzz interrupted her thoughts.

She knew that buzz… she hated that buzz.

"Derek, don't you dare!"

She whipped around, but already he'd picked up his vibrating phone. She considered stealing it out of his hands, but that was just trading one danger for another. So instead, she watched as he pressed the accursed thing to his ear.

"Hey, we're almost there," he said, by way of a greeting. "How's she doing?"

"At least use the speaker phone!" Meredith hissed.

Derek ignored her but did manage to balance the phone on his shoulder. Thankfully, this kept his hands free for the wheel.

"What did the doctor say?"

Meredith leaned forward, but the response was simply too low to make out. She studied Derek's face, hoping to see… something. A sign of good news… or bad news? Please, not the bad news. She'd decided to be ready, to go over a mental checklist of every terrible outcome, just in case. But between the kids and the presents and the gift shop, she hadn't had a chance. Somehow that made this whole thing even scarier…

"Yeah, we're close," Derek continued. They were approaching an intersection, less than a block from the hospital grounds. The roads were clear here, ready for all those emergency vehicles.

"We just have to park. The snow started up again and the traffic's been-"

"Derek!" Meredith gasped.

The truck had appeared out of nowhere, slipping and sliding, right through the light. It was coming right at them.

It was coming _right at them._

She could see Cristina grabbing the ceiling. She could see her husband turning the wheel… It was all in slow motion, like a movie... The gift bags began to spill, the wrapping paper unrolled at her feet.

But her kids… Meredith refused to look. Couldn't look. If a truck was about to take out this van, she couldn't let that be the last thing she saw.

It was Christmas Eve…

 _It was Christmas Eve._

And she had family here. And she had family in that hospital outside the window. It blurred as they spun. She spotted it once, then twice. She could hear her heart beating in her skull… It was strange. The other sounds had fallen away, leaving only that slow and steady pounding.

All she'd wanted was for everyone to be safe…

Safe and together.

That's it.

The car tipped on two wheels.

It was Christmas Eve.

It fell back on four.

It was Christmas Eve.

How on earth had she let this happen? How had she found herself here? Within minutes of the hospital she'd vowed she would make it to… With her husband, her children, her best friend in the world… And absolutely no way to protect them…

She saw the hospital blur by again. Her heart thudded over and over. That meant it was beating. They still had an instant, a few ticks of the clock. She loved everything… everyone.

Dammit, she wasn't ready to leave this place yet.

"Meredith!"

The hospital sharpened.

"MEREDITH!"

The building sat in front of them, directly in front of them, and frozen in place. That could only mean one thing.

They'd stopped moving.

THEY'D STOPPED MOVING.

"Meredith, are the kids okay?!"

Derek twisted towards them, his eyes wide with panic. The van had landed on the other side of the intersection, its front wheels resting against the curb. The truck had slid to a halt not five feet away.

"Meredith!"

"They're fine," Cristina had already checked. She snatched Meredith's hand, squeezing it tightly between both of her own. "Everyone's fine."

Derek's chin fell to his chest. Meredith could see his fingers gripping the steering wheel, making imprints in the soft leather. One by one, he pried them all loose.

The windshield wipers pulsed back and forth.

Off in the distance, a car honked.

"We're okay…" Meredith found some air left in her lungs. "We're okay."

Her heart finally slowed as she glanced back at her children. Amazingly enough, they remained asleep, heads tilted in opposite directions. Only ten or twenty seconds had passed… Ten or twenty, nearly life changing seconds.

She watched as Derek reached for the fallen phone. His hands were visibly shaking, but still, he smiled. They were here… Another hundred feet and they'd be inside the parking garage.

"Yeah, sorry…" he mumbled into the phone. "Nearly had a collision there…"

He paused as the other person responded… It was a long pause, likely filled with concern and frantic chatter. Meredith couldn't imagine hearing news like that over the phone, especially about somebody she loved.

"No, everyone's okay." Derek somehow managed to laugh. "The kids didn't even move. Can you believe that?"

More talking on the other end…

"Listen, I'm literally staring at the parking gate. Let me get everyone in and we'll see you in a minute."

Meredith exhaled again as he hung up the phone.

It had been twelve hours since she'd woken up in Seattle.

And by some miracle, they'd made it.

* * *

 **Hey guys! I hope all of you are having a wonderful holiday season! So here it is, another chapter. Questions, comments, guesses on what's going on? Please go ahead and leave a review! I really love hearing from you all! Thanks again! :)**

 **PS-For those of you who have read Louder Than Words, yes you'll see a few illusions to that story in this one. Gotta reward you somehow for sticking with that epically long book… which I will be finishing! Promise! ;)**


	4. Chapter Four - The Hospital

_CHAPTER FOUR – THE HOSPITAL_

She'd never been so happy to be in a hospital.

Meredith Grey had spent her whole life in them. She'd hit so many major milestones along the way. Her first day accompanying her mother to work, her first day of med school, her first day of her internship, her residency… It went on and on.

But still… _still_ , she'd never been so happy to stand in a hallway bathed in fluorescent light and inhale that antiseptic scent that filled every corner.

The weather had only gotten worse... if that was even possible. The wind and heavy snow had chased them inside, with one last gust accompanying them through the double doors. She was carrying Bailey, Derek had Zola. Cristina was trailing along with the gifts, now dusted in white. But finally, they were here and they were safe.

"Derek! Meredith!"

His mom smiled at them as they slogged into the large waiting room. Mass Gen was older than Seattle Grace/Mercy West, but it was well appointed with cushy chairs and a large number of shiny, fancy vending machines. Meredith and her grumbling stomach had already spotted the Cheetos. She had no clue when she'd last eaten.

"Here, let me take him."

Carolyn Shepherd was as bright eyed as ever as she reached for Bailey. As much as Meredith loved her son, she gladly handed him over.

"Thanks." She struggled to match the woman's cheerful tone. But all she could handle was basic sincerity… genuine gratitude. "And thank you for being here…"

She took a deep breath and slid her hood off. Their near miss with the truck had definitely shaken her.

"Really… it means a lot."

"Of course," Carolyn waved it off as they exchanged a hug. "There's no place I'd rather be."

"In the middle of a storm on Christmas Eve?" Derek raised his eyebrows as he shifted Zola to his other hip. This allowed his mother to sidle in for a hug. "That's your idea of a good time?"

"Well it does seem fitting, doesn't it?"

Carolyn laughed and automatically turned to Cristina, arms outstretched. Cristina just stood there. The bags were clutched in front of her in an attempt to protect herself from the woman's advances.

"She doesn't hug," Meredith quickly stepped in. She figured a rescue was well deserved, especially after her friend had followed her all the way back to Boston. "She's like me, kinda dark and kinda cloudy."

"Yes, but we've just hugged," Carolyn reminded her.

"That's only because you've trained me so well."

Meredith managed a smile. It was a truthful statement. Somewhere along the way, she had come to enjoy her mother-in-law's methods. She'd naturally fallen in line with them. The hugging and the birthday cards, the phone calls and the regular holiday visits… Carolyn Shepherd could intimidate the hell out of anyone, but she was also tough and kind… straightforward. It was a combination Meredith couldn't help but appreciate.

"Well it's good to see you again, Cristina." The woman didn't seem the least bit offended by the hugging moratorium. She simply offered her hand instead. Cristina set the gifts aside and shook it politely. "I do hope you'll stay with us."

"I don't think she has much choice at this point." Derek motioned towards the ice caked window. "The airport's closing so the hotels will be full."

"Well we were never gonna put her in a hotel anyway." Meredith nudged him. It wasn't a harsh nudge by any stretch of the imagination, but it did serve as a warning. Cristina was her person, his invited guest, and most importantly, family. Family stayed with them.

"It wasn't a bad thing," Derek came to his own defense. He glanced at Cristina, his mother, then Meredith, making sure to cover his bases.

"I was just thinking she might not be excited about a couch and two children. You'll probably recall that our kids have a tendency to wake people up." He gave Cristina a sympathetic look. "By jumping on them."

"They do not!"

"Amelia called them the trampoline twins."

Meredith crossed her arms and shot him a vicious scowl. She was beginning to reconsider her policy about family staying with them… specifically _his_ family... or his sisters at least.

"They're cute enough," Cristina cut in. Apparently, she wasn't interested in their ever-changing guest policy. She just wanted a bed and a shower. "Honestly, I get up at 5AM anyway. They'll keep me on my hospital schedule."

"Well that settles that then." Carolyn clapped her hands together. "It'll be nice to have you."

"I should probably warn you, I can't do chipper before noon."

"And I wouldn't dream of asking you to."

Carolyn didn't blink… just gave Cristina another small smile. There were no rules in the Shepherd household, no big expectations about how to behave. Everyone was accepted, adopted even.

"Why don't I go get us some coffee?" Derek offered. It was a smart, conciliatory move. Meredith was too tired to hold a grudge anyway. She gave him a weary nod.

"That would be great, thanks."

Derek leaned in for another brief kiss then wandered off, his daughter still asleep on his shoulder. Cristina moved away from them and began lining up the presents a few seats over.

Meredith understood this phase. Cristina was just as exhausted as the rest of them and just as aware of what this day would hold. She needed her space, just for awhile. Thankfully, Carolyn realized this too. She let Cristina be then lowered herself into one of the chairs.

"My, he's gotten big."

Bailey was cradled in her arms and she lovingly examined every inch of the child.

"Derek did the same thing. I'd buy him new clothes and he'd promptly grow right out of them. Shoes, hats… none of it lasted long."

"That sounds very familiar."

"And it only gets worse from here." The corners of Carolyn's mouth turned upward, but her expression held some sadness as well. "I'm sorry to tell you... They don't stay little for nearly long enough."

"I know…"

Meredith could remember holding her baby, her sweet infant son. Now he was an oversized rag doll, snoring against his grandmother's chest. Still cute, still incredibly loving and sweet, but not a baby anymore.

Time marched on…

A trip to the hospital was always a good reminder of that.

There was no pause button. And you didn't get a do-over if something went wrong.

"So what are the doctors saying?"

Meredith was already eyeing that hallway. They were waiting for her, they had been for much of the day. But she couldn't quite bring herself to go in.

"I figured I should ask…" She met her mother-in-law's gaze. "I mean it seems smart… to be prepared…"

"Derek said you'd be worried."

Meredith looked down. And here came a brand new rush of emotions. She didn't want to be worried. She wanted to be the brave one. That was her job here. That was what they expected of her.

Still…

"It's early…"

It was tough to say the words out loud. But her brain had been saying them to her all day.

"It's just… it's early."

"It is." Carolyn gave a small tug on Bailey's sleeve, freeing the boy from his large winter coat. "But I'm going to tell you the exact same thing that I keep telling Derek. Everything's fine. The doctors and nurses have been checking in regularly. They tell me there's no cause for concern. These things happen."

"And they're good? The people here?"

"They're very good."

Carolyn patted the seat beside her. Meredith barely wavered before sitting down. She could guess what came next, a warm arm around her shoulder. It was a motherly gesture, one that Meredith had rarely experienced with the woman who had raised her.

"I know you're worried," Carolyn's voice was soft but firm. "We woke you up in the middle of the night. We asked you to pack up your kids and fly all the way to the east coast… alone. And then you got to drive through a blizzard."

She rubbed Meredith's arm.

"So this is the part where I promise you that while you were doing all those things, all those brave and wonderful things, I've been here and I've been paying attention."

She smiled gently.

"Meredith, everything is fine."

Meredith inhaled sharply, suddenly on the verge of tears. It didn't make any sense, really. You weren't supposed to cry when things were normal… okay… not disastrous. But here she was doing just that.

"I'm sorry…" she murmured.

"There's no reason to be sorry."

Carolyn let her go. Meredith hated to be vulnerable, that was a well-established fact. She might have needed some reassurance and a pep talk, but she was also strong enough to stand on her own. Luckily, Ellis Grey had taught her that much.

"How are you so good at this mom stuff?" Meredith wiped her eyes in a hurry, forcing her emotions back down.

"Well it helps that I've had a few kids to practice on."

"So what you're saying is that once I get to kid five or six, I'll be really great at this too?"

"Something like that."

Meredith bit her lip. Kid five or six… that was hilarious. She was barely surviving with kid one and two. Speaking of which…

She sighed, feeling like a failure all over again. But at least she was here with another mother, one who could probably appreciate her plight.

"I have a favor to ask…"

"I think I can handle that."

"Yeah, but it's… it's sort of a big one."

She hated this part. Asking for help was not her strong suit. But what else could she do? She was only one person and she certainly couldn't be in two places at once. She sucked in her breath, checked that the coast was clear…

"I have a Christmas crisis." The truth tumbled out, quiet but urgent. "It's sort of bad. Well, _I'm_ bad… I'm a bad parent."

Carolyn leaned in gamely, matching her whisper.

"I'm not sure what that means, dear."

"The presents." Meredith gestured at Bailey, the little boy who believed in the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus and her… most of all her.

"Santa left the presents in Seattle. And Santa's not supposed to make that mistake. He's supposed to show up in Boston… at your house… and leave the presents under your tree. But unless I send you out with my credit card, that's not gonna happen."

"It'll happen."

"No, it won't," Meredith insisted. The desperation was creeping in. She could already picture the disappointment, the crushing heartache. "And after hauling these kids across the country, on Christmas Eve no less, I can't have Santa forget about them. I just… I can't do that."

"Meredith, it's taken care of."

"But you don't understand-"

"I do, actually."

The woman's demeanor was so damn calm. She was completely unshaken by the day's events or the pressing issue of Christmas gifts. This was exactly what Meredith needed, a strong, steady presence. Still, she couldn't hide her confusion.

"She gave me a list," Carolyn spoke slowly, wanting to make sure this statement sunk in. "As soon as this happened… We knew you'd be coming, we knew you'd probably be rushed, and it's no easy thing traveling with two small children. So she sent me out with a list."

"You're kidding…"

For the second time that day, Meredith was caught completely off guard. She had no idea what to say. What _could_ she say? Somehow, amidst all the chaos, they'd thought of her children.

"Bailey's got a truck… a big one," Carolyn spread her arms wide. "And if you don't think we can find a stethoscope in this family…"

She trailed off, her eyes sparkling a bit at Meredith's shock.

"I can assure you that the stockings are up and by tomorrow morning they'll be full, as will the space under the tree. It will be a ridiculous display of Christmas riches."

Meredith could feel it… relief. So much relief.

 _Holy crap…_

And just like that, the world was bright and happy again.

 _Holy crap!_

"You really… you got everything?" she asked, dizzy with excitement. "The tree… the lights… even with all this stuff going on?"

"Absolutely."

"That's… that's sort of amazing."

"This is family, Meredith. We take care of each other."

Meredith understood that better than anyone. It's just that for her, for such a very, very long while, family had simply meant friends… good, loyal, loving friends. She hadn't had blood relatives who called or worried… who acted like she mattered to them. She hadn't had a husband or in-laws. And now, even when she was surrounded by all these people, it still seemed weirdly new. It had been years since she'd found Derek, but she never stopped being amazed by it all.

"I love your son…" Meredith grinned at her mother-in-law, seized by fresh Christmas spirit. "But _you_ just became my new favorite person."

"Save your thanks," Carolyn held up one hand. "I was just the one who went to the store."

"Momma?"

They both turned as Derek approached, carefully balancing two cups of coffee. Zola was already starting to stir and Meredith grabbed for the precariously held drinks. The last thing they needed was for him to spill scalding liquid on their child.

She caught Carolyn's smirk in the corner of her vision. What was it about Dads and taking dumb risks?

"I think the smell of coffee woke her."

Derek could clearly tell what they were thinking, but he chose to ignore it. As it was, he'd long accused Meredith of being overprotective. These were the battles that all parents faced. It didn't really matter in the end. They both loved their children so much it hurt.

"Did you and Cristina want anything?" He looked to his mother, and Meredith was suddenly happy that he hadn't tried to handle _four_ cups of coffee. "I can go back…"

"I'm fine," Cristina shook her head. Carolyn did as well.

"We can get something later if we need it."

"Okay, well it's probably good she's up." Derek spoke quietly, rocking his daughter from side to side. He gestured down the hallway with his free hand. "We should really get in there."

"Yeah, we should …" Meredith rubbed Zola's back, feeling her muscles tense as she finally left dreamland. "Hey, sweetie…"

Normally, Zola's wake up process was a lengthy ordeal, one filled with eye rubbing and lots of snuggles. But a survey of her fresh surroundings sped things up considerably.

"Gamma…" Her voice was hoarse from sleep, but full of delight. "We found you!"

"You did!"

Carolyn laid Bailey on the next chair over, draping his jacket across him. Zola immediately reached for the woman. She was only too happy to take his place in her lap.

"So how's one of my favorite little girl's doing?"

"Good…" Zola pretended to be bashful, just for a moment. A shy smile briefly appeared. But then came the giggling as her grandmother tickled her. "Gamma, I missed you!"

"Aw, I missed you too, baby."

Meredith brushed Derek's fingers with her own. This was it, their family. And they were so lucky… so insanely, magnificently lucky.

"Would you like to stay with us for awhile?" Carolyn continued talking to Zola. "Maybe hang out with your old grandmother?"

"Yeah!"

"Well I think it's almost dinner time…"

"Can I get pudding?"

"I'd imagine so…" Carolyn laughed then glanced over at Cristina. It was a clear indication that she was included here. She'd been adopted, just like the rest of them. "Do you like pudding, Cristina?"

Meredith could see a very sincere grin cross her friend's face.

"It's actually my favorite food group."

"Chocolate or vanilla?"

"Chocolate, always."

"Terrific." Carolyn gave her a quick nod. "Well I thought that perhaps you could stay here with Bailey. And Zola and I could go get us some food."

"Whadda 'bout you, Daddy?" Zola frowned as she twisted towards Derek. She'd missed her father and wasn't quite ready to leave him.

"I'll be out soon, Zo." He took her hand in his own, gave her a kiss that made her giggle all over again. "And we'll have all day tomorrow… Christmas, that's the best day, right?"

"But whadda 'bout today?"

"We'll be just down the hallway," Meredith explained. "We talked about this on the plane, remember? Daddy and I have to go help with the baby."

"But I wanna go!" Zola's protests were not unexpected. But they were loud. A few heads turned as she kicked her feet out. "I wanna see the baby!"

"You will, but not yet."

"Momma! No fair!"

"Zola Shepherd." Carolyn held the child tightly. Meredith couldn't help but admire how easily she could go from gentle to stern. "I thought you were a big girl. This isn't how a big girl acts."

Zola's chin dropped. She wasn't used to disappointing her grandmother. But to her credit, Carolyn instantly softened. She'd definitely played this game more than once.

"Don't you want to help Grandma and Aunt Cristina with Bailey?" she asked, bouncing the little girl on her hip. "I bet you can guess what he'd like for dinner."

Zola thought about that one long and hard as Meredith shared an amused look with Derek. Their daughter enjoyed being older, having some measure of control.

"Okay…" she gave in. "He likes tater tots!"

"Tater tots?"

"Yeah… and I like 'em too!"

"Well then I think we know what to do."

Carolyn stood slowly, hefting Zola's considerable weight. Like Bailey, she had gained a few pounds and a couple of inches since their last visit. But Carolyn took it in stride… as she'd taken so many other things lately.

"Thank you." Meredith said it again. "For everything…"

"You don't have to thank family."

The woman leaned forward with Zola and Meredith received a kiss from her daughter. Derek stepped in to collect one as well.

"Love you, Zo."

"Love you too, Daddy."

"Alright then," Carolyn stepped back and motioned towards Bailey and also Cristina who had slid in right next to him. "We'll go ahead and get them fed. And if we have to put them to bed, we'll do that as well."

"Zola actually taught me a lullaby the other day," Cristina spoke up. "On Facetime. It was a pretty good one too."

"Well you'll have to share."

"I'll help!" Zola jumped in. "I remember!"

Meredith held her smile, not wanting to pull her daughter's attention away. Carolyn and Cristina were a team now, a strange and wonderful pairing that no one would have imagined a few years ago. But things changed, families morphed and grew…

"What room are they in?" Derek pulled her away from her thoughts, back to the task at hand. He was watching his mother expectantly. "You told me earlier, but with everything going on-"

"Room 305, just down the hall."

"And you're sure you don't mind staying with the kids?" Meredith had already turned. She was ready now, mentally prepared for whatever lay ahead. But she didn't want to be rude. "They've barely slept and they're gonna be cranky…"

"I've got your kids." Carolyn spoke with all the confidence in the world. "But those are _my_ kids in there… _and_ my new grandchild."

She gave them a meaningful look.

"You two just go in there and focus on that."

* * *

 **Happy New Year's guys! Wherever you are in the world, I hope you're enjoying it! Anyway, here's another chapter. The pieces are finally coming together… anyone want to guess what happens next? Did you like this chapter? Are you happy to have some of the family back together? I'd love to hear from you, so please hit that little review button below!**


	5. Chapter Five - The Reunion

**Hi guys! Happy New Year! Well, originally this chapter was supposed to be longer, but alas, I didn't want to take another week or so to update. So instead, I figured I'd just split it up. So consider this part one of two for this scene. Who's having a baby? Read on and see!**

* * *

 _CHAPTER FIVE – THE REUNION_

"You… you made it!"

Meredith heard the voice as soon as she entered. It was predictably strained, but excited... happy even. Night had fallen. It was Christmas Eve. The world outside was quiet, the city bathed in gorgeous, moonlit snow.

And her sister was happy to see her.

Somehow, this felt like the most awesome gift.

Lexie winced as a contraction gripped her, but just as quickly that smile appeared. It had been months since they'd been in the same room together, or hell, even the same city, but that was the thing Meredith always remembered. Lexie Grey… well, Lexie Sloan now, she could smile through anything, even the birth of her first child.

"I'm so glad… you made it."

She inhaled sharply, allowing Mark to take over the conversation.

"She was worried… with the weather and all."

"He wouldn't let me open the curtains…" Lexie forced the sentence out. "He didn't want me to look… Although I do… I do kinda wonder why they have windows in these rooms anyway. Like what if, what if someone sees in?"

"No one's gonna see in," Meredith laughed. She dropped the packages into the corner, threw her coat on the chair and came over to the other side of the bed. Lexie grabbed her hand with remarkable speed, holding it tight. Meredith leaned over and kissed her forehead. "Hey, Lex."

"How's this for timing?" The words came out in one long exhale as her body finally took mercy on her.

"And here I didn't think we'd see each other for Christmas."

"Surprise…" she said weakly.

"And it's a good one, I promise."

Lexie's smile faded away. And Meredith knew right then that her sister felt guilty. It wasn't all that shocking. This was Lexie they were talking about. But her guilt _was_ ridiculous. The disruption to their normal holiday routine, that had sucked, as had the travel. But Meredith's earlier anxiety was now muted by enthusiasm.

"I'm about to be an aunt," she reminded her sister. "That's gonna be a pretty tough present to beat."

"Well we're gonna keep trying anyway."

Mark walked over for a hug. She didn't ask how he'd come to find himself in an ugly Christmas sweater, complete with both a Frosty and Rudolph. Instead, she just moved into the hug. Despite some early mishaps, Mark Sloan had become a part of their family.

"Hey there, Big Grey," he mumbled into her shoulder.

"Hey yourself." She gave him an extra squeeze as she pulled away. "And what does that mean, 'you're gonna keep trying?'"

"Lex and I are going for three."

"Three kids?"

Derek was busy untangling himself from his various pieces of winter apparel. But he paused just long enough to gape at his friend.

"You've already decided that?"

"Yes."

"No." Lexie shook her head vigorously, but Mark was still beaming. He left Meredith's side and moved to pat his best friend on the back.

"Why? You worried we'll catch up with you?"

"No, I'm worried you're insane."

"He _is_ insane."

Lexie didn't seem that delighted with her husband's announcement. If anything, their attitudes revealed polar opposites. Whereas Mark was practically bouncing with anticipation, she was more hesitant, bordering on nervous.

"Let's just focus on this one, okay?"

"We are, Lex," Mark was as amiable as ever. "And you're doing great. The doctors already love you which means our kid's gonna get the best spot in the nursery."

"Fantastic…"

Whatever energy Lexie had found for her family's arrival, it was already waning. She was obviously exhausted, propped up against pillows, a hospital blanket tucked under her arms. She glanced over at her sister, her smile tiny, but back in place.

"Thanks again for coming…"

"There was no way I'd miss it."

Meredith stepped in closer, temporarily shielding her from Mark's manic energy.

"How are you feeling? Is there something we can get for you?"

"No, I'm okay…"

Her voice was a little too soft for Meredith's liking. Lexie was usually bubbly and somehow she'd expected that same demeanor, even with the pain and anxiety of impending motherhood.

"I just want this baby," she sighed. "And I really can't believe that she's coming today."

"Yeah, unfortunately, she gets to decide on the date." Meredith was sympathetic. They hadn't even been able to throw Lexie a shower yet. "But I did bring some gifts..."

She gestured towards the packages they'd hastily wrapped. It wasn't the most beautiful presentation. Cristina had gone to town with the scotch tape. And as it turned out, there was a menorah on at least one of the gift bags. But the stack itself was fairly impressive.

Lexie raised an eyebrow.

"That's… a lot."

"How about you just open the first one?"

Meredith grabbed one of the strangely shaped items and placed it on the bed. A distraction, _any_ distraction, seemed like a good idea at this point. And who on Earth could resist the allure of a present, especially on Christmas Eve?

Lexie slowly tugged at the ribbon then tore through the paper, revealing the brown teddy bear with the fuzzy pink nose.

For a split second, her smile grew.

"Aw, he's adorable."

She rubbed the velvety fur, her fingers tracing the heart on his belly. And this was the moment, Meredith knew, when it all became so very real for her sister. By Christmas Day, she would be a mother. By New Year's Day, she'd be back at home, no longer just one half of a couple. No, she'd belong to a trio by then, a happy, little team of three.

"You excited?" Meredith grinned. Lexie merely nodded.

"I can't believe this will be her first bear…"

"Well it won't be the only one," Derek snapped her out of her wistful mood. He was still attempting to peel off his layers, causing flakes of snow to drift towards the floor. "Meredith pretty much bought out the shop."

"I did not!"

"The lady behind the counter absolutely loved you." Derek gave a final tug on his scarf then looked back at Lexie. "Almost as much as your sister loves you, apparently."

"Oh for godsakes…" Meredith groaned.

She hated talking about all of this sappy stuff. Love… feelings… these were topics they rarely dove into, unless it had to do with their children. But Derek wasn't wrong. She did love Lexie and she was happy to see the light re-enter her sister's eyes.

"Thanks." Lexie adjusted the bear's tiny bow tie, then hugged him to her chest. "That's really sweet, Mer."

"Well, I also brought pajamas." Meredith didn't need this getting any more saccharine, so she quickly moved on to the practical gifts. "I brought a couple pairs actually… Honestly, I couldn't decide which ones you'd want."

"See?" Derek held his hands up. "I'm not wrong."

Meredith pursed her lips.

"I seem to recall you helping me choose them."

"Once you bought them, yes. But I was watching the kids when you went on your shopping spree."

"Well thank you." Lexie tugged at Meredith's hand, pulling her attention back. "I didn't have my bag ready anyway, and God only knows what my husband grabbed."

"Hey," Mark protested. "I was on it. I found the onsie, the one with the Space Needle. You said that was perfect."

Lexie's smile disappeared.

"I meant for me, Mark…"

An awkward silence came over the room as the couple stared at each other. And then abruptly, Lexie sat up again, her features contorting in pain. Her focus immediately fell off of Mark and shifted to some invisible spot just beyond them.

"Just breathe, Lex…"

In an instant, he was by her side, the good-natured coach, the cheerful soon-to-be father.

"Just breathe…"

Meredith watched her sister's reaction. If Lexie hadn't already been tense, her husband's sudden proximity surely would have done it.

"I… am… breathing… Mark."

"Good…" He refused to drop the encouraging act. "That's good."

And then, out of the blue, he turned back towards Derek. He was freakishly relaxed. They might as well have been out getting coffee.

"So how was that drive by the way?"

Derek balked at the question, his eyes darting from Mark to poor Lexie.

"Really?"

"It's a diversion," Mark explained. "Thinking about something else… they say it can help."

It took everything Meredith had in her, not to bring her palm up to her face. Mark Sloan was good at a lot of things… but today, reading the room wasn't one of them. Nevertheless, Derek went along with him.

"It wasn't great," he admitted. "But the kids slept through most of it. And Cristina managed to get in before the storm hit."

"Cristina's… here?"

That statement finally caught Lexie's notice. Her grip on her sister's hand loosened somewhat.

"She was supposed to come out to Seattle," Meredith clarified. "It was a surprise. Derek switched the flights as soon as Mark called."

"But you should… you should be in the waiting room talking to her..." Lexie pushed the words out as her contraction diminished. "She flew all this way."

Meredith couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her niece was due in a matter of hours and Lexie was thinking about her former resident… about whether or not Cristina might get bored in Meredith's absence.

"Lexie, don't be silly. She can wait one night… I came here for you."

"That doesn't seem fair…"

"Yes it does. During the birth of your daughter, it absolutely does."

Sometimes, it was easy to forget her sister's weird insecurities, but they were always there, waiting to pop up at the strangest and most inopportune moments. Lexie was older now, strong and confident, a surgeon in her own right. But when it came to Meredith, she could easily revert to that lost little intern, the one Meredith had initially rejected. It was a mistake she'd spent years trying to fix.

"And before you ask, yes I am thrilled that Cristina is here." Meredith had to be honest, otherwise it would only make matters worse. "I mean eventually, this baby's gonna puke on her and that's definitely something to look forward to, right?"

Lexie cracked a smile again. That was all the response Meredith needed.

"So yes, there will be catching up and baby puke and probably a few stories about how much worse the interns are at her hospital. But we'll have plenty of time for that later."

She leaned in towards Lexie, all but ignoring the guys. They were secondary, just fixtures in the room as far as she was concerned.

"Right now, I'm with you, okay?"

"Okay…" Lexie's voice fell once more.

And then Meredith could see it, that flicker of fear. Lexie wasn't just irritated. And she wasn't just nervous… she was scared. Really and truly scared.

"Lex…"

Lexie could tell she was caught and just like that, her veneer fell. Her eyes grew wide and she sucked in a shaky breath.

"It's… it's early, Mer."

"I know…"

Meredith brushed a lock of hair from her forehead, tucked it behind Lexie's ear. She remembered what Carolyn had said. Everything was fine. Lexie was fine. The baby was fine.

"This stuff can happen. We've both seen it. Maybe she just wanted to be here for Christmas."

"Besides, it's not _too_ early," Derek spoke up from the corner. He'd been Lexie's mentor for over a year and he knew as well as anyone how much she valued medical facts. "That's the part you have to remember. If there were any concerns, your doctor would've given you something to stop the contractions. As it is, she'll just be a little bit smaller."

"And easier to get out," Mark continued to joke around. Evidently, he was hoping to charm his wife, to help ease her stress. But Meredith cringed as he touched Lexie's stomach.

"You don't want to push out a ten pound little turkey do you, Lex?"

"Mark!"

Her reaction was immediate. She slapped his hand away, shooting him a glare that was neither funny nor cute.

"Well, this has always been your favorite holiday," he tried again, dropping the humor for a dose of sincerity. "Maybe it's meant to be…"

"No." Lexie shook her head fervently. "It was _meant_ to be in January… or February even. No one said anything about Christmas Eve."

"Okay, well they must have checked the baby…" Meredith kept her tone even.

Lexie's case, it was… complicated, they all recognized that. Her sister had been lucky in a lot of things, but pregnancy wasn't one of them. There had been tears… miscarriages… Meredith understood how that fear could creep in. She'd once been plagued with the very same doubts.

"The baby's fine," Mark was serious now. "Heart rate's good, she's positioned just right…"

"She's just early…"

Lexie rubbed her belly, allowing Mark's hand to sneak in as well. And then just like that, she sat up in pain again. Another contraction had struck with a vengeance and she winced, mashing all of Meredith's fingers together.

"The nurse should be back soon." Mark reached over to massage her shoulders. "She can see how far you're dilated, maybe give us an idea of the time…"

"Should I go get her?"

Meredith wasn't completely certain she could pry her fingers from Lexie's grasp, but if she had to, she'd absolutely find a way to get someone in here. If nothing else, she had a set of lungs and very little patience.

"No, it's okay," Mark put that plan to rest. "They checked on us right before you arrived."

"Derek…" Lexie took a deep breath. Her checks were red, but Meredith realized it wasn't from strain. No, Lexie was blushing. "If the nurse shows up… You… you need to come up here… By my head."

"Lexie, this is nothing I haven't seen before." Derek was struggling to hide his grin. Her embarrassment was rather endearing. "Meredith and I got pretty far into this before Bailey's C-section. Plus, I'm a doctor."

"No… you're my brother." She exhaled gradually. "Today… today at least…"

It was a sweet sentiment, and one that Derek clearly took pride in. Meredith could see it in his face, in the way his smile reached for his eyes. He was indeed Lexie's big brother. He'd always looked out for her, especially with Mark. He'd given her advice when Meredith was busy, listened to her pour out her heart…

"I like this job better anyway."

He moved around her bed then waited for the contraction to subside, before planting a kiss on her forehead as well. Lexie gave him a tight, grateful smile in return.

"How far along are you?" Meredith's legs were growing more and more wobbly. She lowered herself into a chair, willing her body not to give out. If Lexie could go through a full day of labor, she could go a full day without sleep.

"Not far enough…" Lexie muttered. "This baby can't decide what she wants to do."

"What time did you get here?"

"I don't even remember…"

"Maybe you should walk around," Mark suggested. It was a genial comment, hardly made to agitate her, but Lexie's anger flashed nonetheless.

"I don't wanna walk."

"Lex…"

"I don't wanna walk, Mark!"

"It's okay," Meredith said quickly.

She had no interest in choosing sides. Mark was here, ready and willing to offer support. He was trying his best to be the good husband, the good father. And yet, Lexie's gaze was fixed on her sister. Perhaps it came down to one simple fact. Meredith had been through this before… She'd felt the contractions, endured the pain and endless worry.

"If you want to stay in bed, that's fine," she said gently, hoping to soothe Lexie's frayed nerves. "If that's what seems right to you, then that's what you're gonna do. It's _your_ day."

"It's my day…"

"And you'd better enjoy it," Meredith couldn't help but tease her a little. "Because after this, none of the days will be yours again."

"But that's the good part, right?" Lexie asked, her voice suddenly pleading.

"That's the _best_ part."

Lexie nodded slowly then stared up at the ceiling. Tears were beginning to pool in her eyes. Mark was all set to lean in, to offer solutions or suggestions… But Meredith gave a slight shake of her head.

Something was wrong.

Something was wrong with her sister.

Lexie was upset, it was obvious. And it was more than just their baby's early arrival. Emotions she'd probably been ignoring for weeks were bubbling up. Yes, she'd taught herself to be strong, and she _wanted_ to be strong, especially in front of her husband. But at some point, she'd have to deal with this stuff. And it couldn't be after her daughter was born.

"Hey guys, would you mind checking on the kids?"

Meredith gave Derek a look he could easily translate. Lexie was hurting, but there was no sense in letting her lash out at Mark. It wasn't fair to either of them. This was supposed to be the best day of their lives.

"Sure," Derek caught his wife's pass and easily ran with it. "I bet they'd love to see their Uncle Mark."

He put a hand on his friend's shoulder, propelling him towards the door. But Mark drew back, stepping out of Derek's grasp.

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"Come on, I'll buy you a cup of coffee."

"I can drink coffee in here."

"Look," Meredith hastily assembled a case. She wasn't about to lose this battle of wills. "Nothing's going to happen in the next ten minutes. And the kids have missed you. They've been waiting to see you."

"Meredith…"

"You'll be right down the hall."

"She's my wife."

"She's my sister."

Lexie stayed silent, refusing to enter into the fray. Maybe she was just too exhausted to argue or maybe she just flat out didn't want to. It didn't matter either way. This was her day, so Meredith could do the arguing for her.

"I promise to take good care of her," Meredith softened. "You know I will."

She could hardly blame Mark for wanting to stay. If anything, she was grateful for it. But right now that gratitude would take a back seat. Lexie was her top priority.

"They haven't seen each other in months," Derek started in again, motioning towards the bed. A little sisterly bonding… it was a pretty decent excuse. "Let's just give them a few minutes."

"Fine," Mark relented, albeit grudgingly. "But if anything happens-"

"I _will_ run and get you." Meredith had no qualms about that one. She was here to help out her sister, that was a fact. But she knew Mark deserved to be present as well. "Trust me, I'm surprisingly fast."

"She really is." Derek smiled and led his friend towards the exit again. "You should see her chase after Bailey. It's like something out of a Road Runner cartoon. The two of them, just racing around and around the yard…"

Their voices faded as the door shut behind them.

* * *

 **Well, there you go! At least one of you guessed it. Yep, Derek, Mark AND Lexie are all alive in this story. I wanted to write something that basically brushes past the tragedies from the actual show, but is happy instead of crushingly sad (and don't worry, this chapter isn't meant to show Mark and Lexie fighting, they're just dealing with stuff in different ways-they definitely love each other and we'll see that too). Also, for those of you reading Louder Than Words, this story's meant to make you smile. I've gotten so many reviews about people crying, it seems only fair (but for those of you who haven't read it, there are plenty of happy parts too ;)! Quick question for those who are willing to answer in the reviews… how many of you have read that story as well? No worries, either way. You don't need one to understand the other. I'm just curious. In some ways, they sort of go together. And in my mind they share the same history, flashbacks etc, right up until the plane crash, of course.**

 **Anyway, please review if you can! I'd really appreciate hearing what you think of this chapter. Did you like it? Are you happy to see Lexie and Mark alive? Ready for a Meredith and Lexie scene? Interested to see this family reunited? Let me know!**


	6. Chapter Six - Christmas Eve

_CHAPTER SIX – CHRISTMAS EVE_

Meredith watched the guys leave then turned back to Lexie… Lexie who was nervous, Lexie who was scared, Lexie who was hugging a teddy bear for dear life. Her eyes were closed… And without Mark there to see, she finally allowed the tears to spill down her cheeks.

"Hey, it's okay." Meredith scooted her chair closer. She wanted to lean in and hug her sister, but that was rather impossible in their current positions. So instead, she reached over and brushed her tears away.

"It's okay, Lex. It's just you and me now."

"I shouldn't yell at him…" Lexie's voice trembled. And here came that guilt again. "I love him. He's… he's my husband."

"Lexie, that won't be the last time you yell at him."

Sure, her marriage had begun on a post-it, but Meredith understood the craziness that came with the vows. On certain days, up was down and right was wrong…

"Love equals yelling." It was a declaration she had made more than once, usually after some fight with Derek. "It happens… That's how you know you still care about each other. Nobody yells if they don't care."

"I guess…" Lexie sniffled.

And then her expression changed from sadness to abject horror. Crap, it was another contraction, the price biology exacted for the adorable baby soon to arrive. Meredith prepared her hand for Lexie's crushing, vice like grip. Her sister might have appeared small in the oversized hospital bed, but that didn't diminish her strength… at all.

"Just breathe…" Meredith stood and supported Lexie's back with her other hand. "This part sucks."

"It really… really does."

Lexie's entire face was screwed up in agony and Meredith couldn't help but cringe on her behalf. It was tough to see her sister hurting, even under these circumstances. She was all set to tell her that it was worth it, that eventually the pain would be a long distant memory… but she'd heard those words before, hell she'd said them before… and she was well aware of how obnoxious they could sound from the other side.

"Just keep breathing…" Meredith repeated the mantra she'd learned in OB. Breathing, focus, it was all supposed to bring some relief… though honestly, she couldn't recall if it had helped her with Bailey. That was a blur of pain and fear, eventual darkness… then, of course, overwhelming love.

Nothing could have prepared her for that.

But Lexie, Lexie needed to be prepared… for everything. That was her process, the way she stumbled along through the world.

"You took all those classes, remember?" Meredith seized upon that single thought, hoping to boost her sister's shaky confidence. "The ones with the annoying, perky parents-to-be?"

"I… I was one of those… annoying… perky… parents… to be."

"No, you were the cool one," Meredith argued. "You're my little sister, so you were cool, and you listened and you learned, but you didn't giggle like an idiot every time they showed a cute baby."

"But… I… I … did."

"Fine," Meredith surrendered that battle. "But you can see every diagram they showed you, every pamphlet, every video, every lesson they gave… It's imprinted into that super cool brain of yours. So this hurts and it sucks… But you've got this, Lex. You need to believe in yourself."

Lexie nodded, her entire body tense… Another second passed and then slowly but surely, she relaxed.

"Here, lay back…" Meredith moved the pillows around to make Lexie more comfortable. "I'm not gonna lie, it's gonna get harder…"

"Great, thanks."

"But I'm gonna be here…" Meredith found her chair again. This hadn't been the easiest day, not the far too early morning, or the bumpy plane ride or their near death experience in the van. But still, she was thankful she'd thought to pick up that call. She never would have forgiven herself if she had slept through it.

"For as long as you want." She smiled. "I'll be here, okay?"

"Okay…" Lexie spoke softly. The tears had returned and she swiped at them with the back of her hand, annoyed at herself, yes… but also sad and upset… definitely frightened.

Meredith sighed.

"So why don't you tell me what's wrong."

Lexie swallowed hard, considering how much she should say. But in the end, exhaustion won out. She just didn't have the energy to keep any secrets.

"He's done this before…"

She pressed her palms over her eyes, trying to stop the tears. But her shaky words gave her away.

"Mark… he's done all this, with Callie and Sophia… and even Arizona. He knows how to be a parent."

"Well that's a good thing, isn't it?" Meredith was confused. Not all that long ago, Lexie had been happy about this, thrilled even. "You got a sneak preview. You've already watched him be a great dad."

"Yeah, but Mer, what about me?" Lexie's hands fell and she stared at her sister with watery eyes. "I-I don't have the first clue how to be a Mom. What if I suck at it?"

"You're not gonna suck at it."

"No, no I could," she insisted. "I could totally suck at it."

"Lexie…"

"What if I'm one of those moms who accidentally locks her kid in the car? I mean, last week, I left my keys on the seat and I locked the door, just clicked the inside lock as I shut it. And then I'm just standing there in the snow, crying because at some point in the near future, there's gonna be a baby in that car. And my baby's gonna freeze-"

"Lexie, your baby is not gonna freeze."

"No, she will," Lexie kept right on going. "She will. Because it's freakin cold here and she's gonna have the kind of mother who locks her kid in the car."

"Oh come on-"

"And Mark, he just gets it. He does, he gets it. He's so in love with Sophia. Ever since I found out I was pregnant, he's talked about how much things will change, how I'll just instantly fall in love with this tiny little person. But what if that doesn't happen?"

"Lex…"

"Or what if… what if she doesn't love me?"

"That's impossible."

"How do you know that?" This wasn't a rhetorical question, Meredith could tell. Lexie was desperate for an answer. "Like how do you really, _really_ know that?"

Meredith let that sit for a minute. It was a dangerous thing to do. It gave Lexie permission to keep talking, to continue down this insane spiral of fear and anxiety. But it also gave Meredith time to consider her response. Her sister was waiting expectantly, her arms wrapped around a fuzzy brown teddy bear. She looked so young… Meredith couldn't afford to screw this up.

"You're wondering how I know that your kid will love you?" She paused, giving Lexie another moment to reflect, to hear how ridiculous that sounded. But it didn't seem to matter. Lexie was biting her lip, her fingers fiddling with the teddy bear's bow tie.

"I know because _I_ love you, Lex." She gave Lexie's hand a gentle tug, wanting, _needing_ , to make sure she was listening. "And Mark loves you and Derek loves you and my kids… my kids _adore_ you."

That elicited the tiniest smile. Nothing made Lexie happier than a day with her niece and nephew.

"I miss them…"

"And they miss you…" Meredith allowed a smirk to tug at her features. "We all do. It's one of the reasons I'm still mad at you."

"You're… you're mad at me?" Lexie's brow furrowed, her mouth falling open. "And you're telling me now?"

"Yeah, I am." Meredith was teasing… sort of. Whatever it took to pull Lexie's mind away from her worries.

"Look, when I moved out of the house, I figured you might move out as well. But I didn't expect you to leave the hospital. And I definitely didn't expect you to fly across this whole stupid country."

"T-there… there was a job."

"Yes. And it was a good one. But you left us. _And_ you took my husband's best friend. So now I have to listen to Derek's sports analysis. And it's boring… so, so incredibly boring. I don't ever want to hear about the Seahawks again."

"They're gonna lose the division this year…"

"And thanks to you, I'm well aware of that fact."

The confusion was there… and that concerned expression her sister had displayed so much in those early years. In some ways, Meredith had missed it, the sweetness that lay behind those big, wide eyes.

"You ramble, Lex. You tell terrible jokes. You never, ever get the camera angle right on Facetime. Your taste in music is questionable and half the pictures you send me have your pale little fingers up in the corner."

Lexie bit back a shy smile. That one she certainly knew to be true.

"You drive me absolutely crazy sometimes…" Meredith glanced down at her sister's hand. She remembered Mark taking it at their wedding. She remembered how extraordinarily happy they'd been.

"But you're also kind and compassionate… You're the type of sister that people would kill for. And I would know, because I'm basically the exact opposite."

"That's not true…"

"It _is_ true. And that's okay. I'm not so warm and cuddly with the world." Meredith shrugged. "But you are. You give out cookies and send thank you notes. You were on your way to the hospital and you _still_ thought about Bailey and Zola. Wanna hear how many of their presents I thought to bring? Zero."

"Well you had a lot on your mind…" Lexie couldn't help but be reassuring. It was her nature. "Flying with two kids, no notice…"

"See? That's it!" Meredith jumped in. "That right there. You just let me off the hook."

"What are you talking about?"

"You knew I was doing the best that I could, so you were understanding and sympathetic. You let me off the hook. And that's exactly what you need to do for yourself."

Lexie frowned. She got it… she did. But unfortunately for both of them, she didn't see it as an equal comparison.

"Mer, I can't… Not on this, not on something so important."

"Sure, you can," Meredith plunged onward. "You're not gonna get it all at once, Lexie. Nobody does. You're gonna buy the wrong size diapers and you're gonna get so tired that you forget what month it is. You're gonna lose your mind when she throws a tantrum in the middle of the mall. And you're gonna hate every single show on the Disney Channel. But the one thing you're never, ever gonna do, is stop loving that kid. It's impossible, especially for you. You, Lexie, are one of the most loving people I've ever met. And this… right here…" She motioned towards her sister's stomach, towards the tiny baby inside. "It's only gonna make that part of you stronger."

Lexie seemed ready to bob her head in agreement, but it was all just too much for her. Maybe it was the holiday or the cold, sterile hospital room… but Meredith could tell, she was overwhelmed. The tears were back and they were sliding down her cheeks one by one.

"I'm scared, Meredith…" Her voice came out as a whimper. "I'm really, really scared."

"You don't have to be…"

"Yeah, but when I saw this day… when I thought about what was supposed to come next…" She trailed off, collecting a shaky breath. "My mom was supposed to be here."

Meredith's face fell.

Her mom…

She hadn't expected that. But she definitely should have.

"Remember when Molly… when Molly had her baby?" Lexie had been in Boston back then, a shiny, happy med student. But the story had reached her, quickly enough. "Laura, the baby… she was early too. And she was sick."

"Your baby won't be sick."

"But Mom knew what to do…" She let out a choked sob. "I mean, not like a doctor. But she… she was there with Molly. And she knew what to do."

"Oh Lexie…"

Meredith's heart broke for her sister. Susan Grey would have loved this. Yes she would have been worried, especially after Molly's experience. But she would have hidden that worry. She would have been right by her daughter's side every step of the way, with soothing instructions and an easy going smile.

Lexie started to cry harder as another contraction arrived.

"Meredith…"

"It's okay…" Meredith stroked her hair as her sister frantically grabbed for her. "It's okay. You're both gonna be okay. You're gonna have a daughter and she's gonna be beautiful, alright? Just like you."

"But it hurts…"

"I know…" Meredith was hit by a surge of emotion, nearly in tears herself. "I know… But your mother would be so proud of you. She would, I promise."

Lexie managed a nod as she struggled to breathe through the crying and the pain. The tears were flowing freely, drenching her cheeks…

"She'd… she'd be proud of you too…"

Meredith managed not to react even as a tidal wave of nostalgia crashed down on top of her. Her face was impossibly warm now and her breath hitched in her throat. She would not, _could not_ cry.

But Susan Grey…

Maybe she would be proud of them, both of them.

She rubbed her sister's back, tracing circles across her hospital gown. She seemed to remember that Derek had done this for her, that it had soothed her somewhat… The gentle pressure on muscles that were tight… on a body that had long since grown weary… She could feel her sister's lungs expanding and contracting. She could sense her sobs beginning to dissipate. Around and around…

"You're okay… You're doing great, Lex."

Around and around…

 _Just breathe…_

And that's when Meredith could see it… when her eyes grew unfocused, when her gaze drifted for a split second, she could see Susan Grey, just as if she was standing in front of her. The woman was happily stocking her cupboards with food… hoping to be Meredith's surrogate family.

What would she think of this? Watching her with Lexie… watching Meredith try her damndest to comfort her sister?

What would she have thought of Lexie's wedding, when Meredith was the maid of honor and Derek the best man and Zola had run down the grassy aisle, tossing flower petals in every direction and shrieking with delight? Perhaps it hadn't been the best job to give a then toddler-aged child. It hadn't helped when, in the middle of the ceremony, Zola had taken off down the hillside, ribbons from her dress trailing behind her. Meredith had caught her pint-sized escapee and the crowd had cheered. And when she'd spun towards the wedding party, expecting to catch her sister's stricken expression, her horror at this interruption on her big day, she'd instead found Lexie grinning from ear to ear. Happy, excited, totally in love.

What would Susan Grey have thought of all that?

"I think your mom would be happy, Lex," Meredith answered her own question. It was a truthful statement, one she believed with all of her heart. "But I am sorry she can't be here."

"It's okay…"

Lexie found her voice again. The contraction was over, taking with it at least some of her panic. She buried her face in the back of the teddy bear, half hiding…

"If she couldn't be here, I'm glad… I'm glad it's you."

Meredith reached over and gently touched Lexie's chin, tilting her head up until their eyes met.

"Me too, Lex."

And here came another scene, playing along through Meredith's mind… one where she was pushing a gurney, rushing towards the hospital's entrance… Wheels clattered, people were buzzing around her. The emergency room door was just within reach. And then suddenly, out of nowhere, a girl appeared. Brown hair, sweet smile.

"I'm-I'm Lexie… Lexie Grey."

 _I'm your sister._

A lump began to rise in Meredith's throat as her emotions once again got the best of her. The past was ugly and messy. And there were a lot of things there that she didn't like to think about, pieces of history that she wasn't proud of. But every twist and turn, every misstep, had brought them to this moment.

And this moment was perfect.

"Lex?"

They both glanced up as Mark ducked his head in. The rest of his body remained outside, hidden behind the door. He watched his wife, the worry evident on his handsome features.

"I just thought I should check in… make sure everything is okay."

Somehow, Lexie found some fresh energy, a new reservoir to tap into. She sat up a bit straighter, pushed her hair behind her ears then quickly wiped away any evidence of her crying.

'The baby's fine, Mark."

"I wasn't worried about the baby…" He remained in the doorway, respecting her space. "I was worried about you."

Lexie's smile finally reappeared in full force.

"You can come in…" she said quietly. "I'm sorry… I-I didn't mean to snap at you earlier."

"Hey, it's fine." Mark stepped inside and moved around the bed, standing directly across from Meredith. He took Lexie's other hand and brushed the back of it with his lips. "You're about to have our baby. You can yell at me as much as you want."

"But I don't want to… not really…" She scrunched her nose up in that oh-so endearing way of hers. "I'm sorry."

"Lex…" Little laugh lines appeared near his temples. "Stop apologizing."

"Okay…"

Now it was her turn to kiss his hand.

Dammit, they were cute… Sometimes it still surprised Meredith. And embarrassed her, if she was being honest. She was the one who had tried to stand between them… Then fate had decided to help her along, with younger Sloan and her baby, then Callie and _her_ baby… It was sort of amazing they'd survived all of that.

"I get that you're nervous…" Mark pulled a chair close. He leaned over, resting his elbows on the side of the bed. "And I should've been better with that… You're my wife and your feelings matter."

"It's silly…"

"No, it's not."

"Yeah, it is…" Lexie sighed. "You've been through this. What happened with Callie, that was _really_ scary. And Sloan too…"

Meredith saw her attention wander. She was searching her memory banks, recalling all of the crap Mark had been through before, all the trials he'd had with his children.

"It's not a competition, Lex." Mark held her hand close to his cheek. "None of this is easy. It's exciting. But it's not easy… I don't care why you're here, it scares the hell out of me to see you in a hospital bed."

"I'm fine…"

"I know. But I love you. So it scares me."

Meredith slowly released Lexie's other hand. She couldn't leave. She'd made a promise to her sister to stay by her side. But this was so personal…

"I should go…" She motioned towards the door. She was hoping she could slip away without too much fanfare. But Lexie caught her, stopped her with her gaze.

"You don't have to leave."

"This really seems like a moment for the two of you."

Mark gave her that smile, the same one that had charmed Lexie all those years ago.

"Meredith, you've been here for this whole damn thing. Don't you want to see how it ends?"

"I can come back-"

"Just stay, Mer." Lexie wasn't gonna let her go easily. "Please?"

Meredith's only response was to relax into the wall, ceding the floor to Mark. Truthfully, she didn't mind staying all that much. Maybe it was a bit awkward, but she was happy to see how in love these two were, how much Mark cared for her sister.

"Look Lex, I have a past," he started again. "A big one... And I'm sure Meredith has wanted to kill me for it."

Meredith's cheeks flushed, but only because that was totally true. She might have punched him when he'd first begun dating Lexie, if Derek hadn't already taken his shot.

"She wasn't the only one." Her sister admitted with a laugh. She was back from the brink now, joking along with her husband. "I wanted to kill you too. At least once… possibly twice."

"I remember."

Mark grinned, but there was some guilt behind that blinding smile. Their break-ups had always been for good reason, but he was well aware that his baggage had generally been the root cause.

"But here's the thing," he continued. "With you, everything was new. I got a fresh start. I mean, I love my kids, and obviously I love Callie. She's one of my best friends. But you… you're the only woman I've ever wanted to marry, the only one I wanted to settle down with. We are absolutely in this together. We can be happy together and overwhelmed together and we're gonna love this little girl, together."

Lexie raised her eyebrows.

"Can we push her out together?"

Mark smirked.

"Sadly, I think basic anatomy has us on that one. But I'm gonna be here for it. And I promise to make it up to you in 3am diaper shifts."

"That's not enough…"

"I'll take the driving lessons too… and teach her how to throw a softball."

" _I'll_ teach her how to throw a softball…" Lexie let go of his hand, just long enough to stick a playful finger in his chest. "I'm way, _way_ better than you on that one."

"Fine, you got me there. But maybe don't teach her to bean anybody."

Meredith couldn't help it. That brought out a snort of laughter. She hastily brought her hands to her mouth, but already the couple had spun around towards her.

"Sorry…" It was a half apology at best. "But that's pretty funny."

Lexie pursed her lips.

"Oh come on," Meredith protested. "It is."

Lexie shook her head then tensed again, her fingers growing white as she gripped Mark's hand. And that was when Meredith realized that her niece, her tiny, adorable, not yet here niece, had just saved her. She felt slightly guilty about it… but only slightly.

"Contraction?" Mark guessed. The answer was written all over Lexie's face.

"Crap…" she gasped in pain. "Crap… crap…"

Meredith stepped back in and grabbed for her other hand.

"She's gonna be worth it…" Mark put his arm around his wife. "I promise you, she's gonna be worth it."

"I… know…" Lexie exhaled. She'd traded in her panic for a steely focus. "She already… is."

The door opened then and both Mark and Meredith looked up. Lexie was too busy to care about anything other than her pain, but Meredith was relieved to see a nurse walk in. Derek trailed behind her, his footsteps slowing as he reached the doorway. Meredith gave him the nod. Yes, he was allowed to come in.

"Lexie…" The nurse's tone was warm and comforting. "I think we must be getting close."

"Yeah…" Lexie breathed. "I… certainly… hope so."

"You're going for a Christmas baby, huh?"

"Her choice… not mine."

"They do have their own schedules…"

The nurse waited patiently, listening as Mark coached his wife through the rest of her contraction. And then she grabbed a nearby stool and slid it across towards the foot of the bed. She switched on some extra lights, aiming them right at Lexie's blanket covered legs.

"Alright then, mind if we check things out, see how you're progressing?"

Lexie nodded. She was leaning back against Mark now, who had parked himself half on the bed. Meredith couldn't help but smile as she watched him press a kiss into Lexie's dark hair.

"Please, by all means…" Lexie swept her arm towards the nurse.

And that was when she caught sight of her brother-in-law, standing directly behind the woman… about to be in prime viewing position. Lexie's eyes instantly widened.

"Derek!"

"Oh, yeah," Derek jumped, suddenly remembering her one request. A deep crimson blush covered his cheeks as he darted to his wife's side. Meredith started to laugh, but Derek's focus was on Lexie. He shot her a huge, encouraging smile.

"Up by your head…"

Lexie nodded again, more forcefully this time.

"And don't you even think about moving…"

* * *

 **We're back! Well… I really thought I would finish this by Christmas, or New Year's at least. But then again, I also originally envisioned it as a oneshot. Hilarious to even imagine that now! So yeah, it's taking longer than expected, but I figured I might as well flesh out the story. So I hope you're enjoying it so far. Those of you who have read Louder Than Words, know that I love a good Meredith and Lexie chapter. Just having the two of them talk is always fun. They're both so different and similar at the same time.**

 **Anyway, please let me know what you think! I'm debating whether to write another chapter or two. I figure we should at least meet the baby, right? But let me know if you're reading and liking it, and what you like about it. I figure I better check in before I put in the time. Thanks again!**


	7. Chapter Seven - The Baby

_CHAPTER SEVEN – THE BABY_

She was beautiful.

Meredith was biased, of course. Totally and wonderfully biased. But even if she stepped back, tried to put on her objective, doctor goggles, she was sure this was a beautiful baby.

Lexie's new daughter was tiny as expected, but her proportions were perfect and she had all her fingers and toes. She was asleep now, resting in her mother's arms. But for the previous hour, she had been alert, showing off the bright blue eyes she'd inherited from her father. Her hair was dark, a gift from Lexie. It peaked out in little tufts from her pink knitted cap. Every once in awhile, a hand would stretch out from her blanket. And if they were lucky… she would yawn. Mark would smile and Lexie would cry…

And Meredith would thank God or whoever was up their listening that everything had gone well. Everyone was safe. Everyone was happy.

And the baby was absolutely beautiful.

"Well…" Derek sighed, clapping his hand on Mark's shoulder. "Merry Christmas, I guess."

He nodded towards the clock up on the wall. It read 2:05… 2:05 in the morning. Good grief, it was early, Meredith thought. Or maybe just late… depending on the time difference. She was still a bit thrown by her coast-to-coast journey. But Mark's grin only grew as he recognized the importance of the hour. His little girl had waited just long enough to be an official Christmas baby.

"Best gift ever." His tone was jovial, but also delightfully sincere. He put a hand on his daughter's head then gently touched her cheek with his fingertips. "Welcome to the world, kid. We're gonna do the best we can, okay?"

Meredith leaned into Derek, allowing his arms to wrap around her shoulders. She was tired…. So, so tired. The residual stress of the previous day was just beginning to leave her system. It was making her all the more emotional and she suddenly realized how grateful she was for the man currently supporting her. She loved him for being here, for braving the snow to meet her at the airport… and weirdly enough, for bringing Mark Sloan into their lives… and yes, for bringing Lexie in too. It pained her to think that she'd needed such a push to accept her sister. But her husband was indeed the one who had brought home the _stray_ … convinced her to adopt Lexie into their weird, makeshift family.

And now there was a baby. A lovely, sweet, tiny bundle of…

"You want another one, don't you?" Derek whispered in her ear.

Meredith chewed the inside of her cheek. She wasn't going to react, wasn't going to take away from the moment. But yes, he'd caught her, seen the way she'd looked at her sister, with affection and maybe just a hint of jealousy. Her fatigue had pretty well weakened her impulse control. Honestly, she'd nearly stolen that baby ten minutes ago.

"I can tell…" Derek murmured. "And I'd be okay with that."

"Later…"

This was a conversation for another day, though she certainly wasn't opposed to having it. Adding another child to their family… Just a few months ago, she'd had a million reasons why that was a bad idea. But she could no longer think of them.

"You wanna hold her again?"

Lexie said the right words, but all too quickly Meredith noticed that they were directed at Mark. She took a steadying breath, watched as the new father leaned down to kiss his beaming wife.

"No, I think she's pretty happy right where she is."

It was a smart move on his part. Lexie definitely wasn't ready to let go. Her maternal instincts had gone into overdrive, surprising even the nurses who'd come in to check on her. They'd simply laid out their nursery services and Lexie had glared at them, before calmly explaining that her brand new baby would not be leaving her sight.

It was all to be expected… and rather wonderful to see. Mark had held his daughter briefly when she'd first arrived, but since then, the baby had been with her mother. And Lexie… Lexie was taking in every inch of her child. Meredith couldn't help but laugh as she leaned down to smell the infant, her eyes closed in pure bliss.

Meredith had seen her little sister overcome with happiness, at her wedding to Mark, at the various holidays they'd once gathered for in Seattle... But she'd never seen Lexie quite like this. It was as if she was glowing from the inside out. Her smile was wider… brighter, her eyes sparkly with tears. Everything about her exuded absolute, unadulterated joy.

"I just can't believe she's here…" Lexie said softly. "Like _really_ here, outside in the world."

"It's pretty amazing, right?" Meredith stepped out of Derek's grasp and perched on a corner of the bed, the better to see her gorgeous, new niece.

"I don't think I really understood…" Lexie bit back another huge smile. "How much I would love her."

"I told you."

"She's perfect."

"She is."

"Have you thought of a name yet?" Derek moved to the foot of the bed, now that it was safe to do so. He was clearly admiring the picture before him… His best friend, his little sister, the newest member of their family…

"We're still deciding," Mark admitted. His expression turned sheepish as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I kinda assumed we had some more time."

"I have an idea..." Lexie never tore her gaze from the baby. "But we can talk about it later."

"Maybe after you get some sleep?" Meredith offered. If _she_ was tired, she knew Lexie had to be running on empty. Her body had been through a long, hard labor and the short burst of adrenaline from meeting her child would wear off soon enough. "I don't want her to end up with some crazy new name just because you two were half dead."

"That's not gonna happen…"

"You get loopy when you're tired, Lex." Meredith had ample memories to support her claim. "I once saw you dip your entire hand into a glass of milk."

Lexie's head snapped up.

"I thought I was grabbing the cookies right next to it."

"Exactly."

"That's hardly the same thing…"

"Remember walking into that door one night?" Meredith had watched that one happen from just down the hall. "You almost gave yourself a black eye."

"I did not."

"You literally ran your face into the door. Didn't even make it to the attic steps."

"I'll make sure she gets some rest," Mark interjected, knowing full well this could go on forever. Meredith wasn't the only one who had seen sleepy Lexie. "We're here for the night anyway, might as well take advantage of it."

"Guys, I'm not a child…" Lexie rolled her eyes.

"No, but you _have_ a child," Meredith pointed out the new reality, the one her sister was still growing accustomed too. "This might be the last bit of sleep you get until her next birthday. Enjoy it."

"Speaking of which…" Derek slid his phone out of his pocket. "I better check on our little munchkins. Mom took them home to put them to bed."

"Tell her we'll be back there soon," Meredith called after him as he stepped out the door. It was already Christmas and pretty soon Zola and Bailey would be pouncing on them, begging to open their presents from Santa.

"Did you call Dad?" Lexie glanced over at Mark, a wrinkle of concern creasing her forehead. "I was supposed to talk to him hours ago, but I totally forgot."

"I think that's understandable…"

"Well he should be awake with the time change."

"I can check in with him." Mark rubbed her shoulders, careful not to let the stress sneak back into them. "Last I heard, he was trying to reschedule his flight. He thought he could probably get here by tomorrow."

"He's bringing Dani…" Lexie's tone took a distinct turn towards the negative. "He asked me if that was okay…"

"And of course you said yes."

"Of course I said yes."

Meredith's attention wandered as she struggled to place that name. _Dani._ It was obviously someone attached to her father. She rewound various Thatcher moments, at least the ones she'd been a part of too, and oh… there it was! Thatcher in the hospital with kidney stones. Lexie throwing a rather out-of-character, but also semi-hilarious, tantrum.

"She was his girlfriend, right?" Meredith figured she'd better get some confirmation. "The one with the tattoos?"

"His fiancé now…" Lexie amended. Her lack of enthusiasm at this news was plain to see. Sure, she'd been happy to expand her family, but she really hadn't expected her father's section of the tree to start growing again.

"Oh god, what if they decide to have kids?" Her mouth dropped open at this new possibility. "We could have another sibling… one that's younger than my daughter!"

"I think we're probably safe, Lex." Meredith giggled at her sister's tortured expression. "Although maybe don't let Dani spend too much time with the baby. She _is_ pretty cute."

That was all it took. Lexie lit up once more, her anxieties calmed by a wave of maternal pride.

"She _is_ cute, isn't she?"

"Alright, you two…" Now it was Mark's turn to pull out his phone. The organizational duties usually fell to Lexie, but tonight he was more than willing to take on the load. "I better make this call before it gets too much later."

"Thanks…" Lexie reached for his hand before he could step away.

"But feel free to keep complimenting my daughter-"

" _Our_ daughter."

"Until I get back."

The couple grinned at each other, both giddy, exhausted… excited… and maybe a bit dazed. They'd entered new territory here, so all they could do was put one foot in front of the other, take care of the small things first. The rest would come later. Mark leaned down to kiss his wife. A second kiss brushed the baby's head.

"I won't be long…" He aimed the phone at them as he headed towards the door. "Don't let her get any more adorable before I return…"

"I can't promise anything." Lexie shrugged her shoulders, a fresh smile playing across her lips. Mark just smirked.

"I was talking about you."

Meredith watched the blush that spread across her sister's face… It was indeed, annoyingly adorable. Mark raced back across the room, planted one more, quick kiss on his wife's cheek, and then he was gone.

They might as well have been a month into dating. They'd kept that same playful energy all the way through their rollercoaster relationship.

"That's my husband…"

Lexie leaned into her pillows, smiling at Mark's antics. Years ago, they'd appeared to be such a terrible, _terrible_ match. The innocent, little intern and the great womanizer of Seattle Grace. But they'd made each other better. They'd both grown up, matured, found ways to compromise… And they'd made a liar out of Meredith, who'd predicted epic disaster from the very beginning.

She'd never been so happy to be wrong about something.

"Thank you for being here…" Lexie took her hand, but this time her grip was gentle. Their fingers interlaced and Meredith could see genuine gratitude shining in her eyes. "I know it was hard…"

"It wasn't that hard-"

"Oh, come on," Lexie groaned. "You can admit it was hard. It's Christmas and there's a storm outside and your kids are sharing a twin air mattress at Derek's mom's house. And you're probably gonna get stuck on the couch."

"This is family," Meredith reminded her.

Back in Seattle, in that dark and twisty period Derek still teased her about, she'd once denied anyone who shared her last name. And as bad luck would have it, _that_ was when her poor sister had stumbled into her life. Hell, she'd barely realized how much she cared about Lexie until she'd seen that Mark could potentially hurt her. It seemed so incredibly silly now.

" _You_ are my family," Meredith said the words firmly. There would always be a tiny bit of guilt gnawing at her, forcing her to keep proving herself to Lexie. "And this… this was sort of a big deal. There was no way a storm was gonna keep me from this hospital. I don't care how much snow is falling out there."

"Still…" Lexie let out a long breath and there was that unnecessary appreciation again, written all over her face. "It means a lot. I'm not sure how I would have done…"

"You would have been fine."

"Maybe…"

She didn't sound too convinced. Lexie stroked her infant's arm absently as Meredith wondered what she was thinking. Was she imagining her mom, the look Susan would give her when she saw her new granddaughter? Could Lexie envision some big family scene with both of her parents and that other sister she barely ever saw anymore? There was no way to tell, because Lexie was keeping those thoughts to herself.

That was her right. She knew Meredith was there to listen if and when she was ready to talk. That's where they'd landed. Amazingly enough… Meredith had let the walls come crumbling down. Besides marrying Derek and having her children, it might have been the best thing she'd ever done.

"Would you like to hold her?"

Lexie's question caught her off guard.

Meredith blinked a few times, allowing herself to consider her answer. Truth be told, she was _aching_ to hold the baby, to feel the warm, occasionally squirming weight nestled against her, to have tiny fingers curl around her own. But she didn't want to take that from her sister.

"I can see it in your eyes, Mer…" Lexie kept pressing anyway. "You're staring at her the way that I stared at Zola when you first brought her home."

"That's not true."

"Liar…" She shifted the tiny bundle, and there it was… the yawn. Little arms stretched up in the air, then settled into the blanket again.

Meredith nearly died.

"You let me hold Zola…" Lexie lifted the baby towards her.

Meredith squeezed her hands into fists, oh-so tempted.

"I sorta think you're supposed to be bonding…"

"We're bonded, trust me," Lexie laughed. "She'll be lucky if she gets away for college at this point."

That was it. Meredith's resistance finally dissolved.

"Well, if you insist…"

She reached for the baby, not wanting to appear too eager. She was the cool aunt, afterall. But still, her heart melted into a puddle as she cradled the little girl, pushing the blanket back from her face. And then, just like that, those bright blue eyes opened. The baby squinted up at what was, more than likely, a blurry image of her aunt and Meredith's melted, puddly heart skipped a beat.

"You did great, Lex…" She ran the pad of her thumb gently over her niece's soft cheek. Lexie scooted closer and leaned into her sister.

And everything was right in the universe.

"I'm really happy…" Lexie said quietly. "I'm just… really, _really_ happy."

"I'm happy too…" Meredith nodded. Her brother-in-law was right.

 _Best gift ever…_

"Merry Christmas, Lexie."

She felt her sister sigh in contentment.

"Merry Christmas."

* * *

 **Well there you go, gang! We've now met the baby. Man, it still makes me sad that we never got a scene like this on the show, but at least it's been fun to write. I miss all these characters so much and it's been nice to put them in happier times. I'm figuring there is probably a chapter or two left of this story. Yes, we're gonna go back to the rest of the crew, the kids, Cristina etc… assuming you guys are still out there and enjoying it? Let me know! Reviews as always are welcome and appreciated.**

 **In the meantime, I'm still juggling the last chapter of Louder Than Words. That may come next, I'm not sure yet. So if you're waiting on this one and haven't read that one yet, you can check it out. I swear, there are happy parts in there too… though yeah, it can be sad. But then you can always come back to this story! :) Anyway, thanks again to those who are reading. Hope to hear from you!**


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